Need
by DarkHououmon
Summary: "All ziz time, I zought zat perpetual motion waz going to be my ticket to fame, but I waz wrong. I have found zomething elze, zomething far more imprezzive. And zat, my rectangle friend...iz you. Now...let'z zee how you tick..."
1. Amusements

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 1: Amusements

_**First rule: never get cocky...**_

sss

Blocky found a hard time believing it. A part of him wondered if time really could fly this fast. He had heard the expression, but he had often enjoyed life so much that he didn't really pay attention to the details. Perhaps he should take a moment and do that once in a while. He could very easily miss things.

Just like today.

Much to his shock, today was his birthday. He was four years old. It had been exactly four years since Rudy Tabootie had drawn him. Four years of living in ChalkZone. Four years of interacting with others, of having fun, of playing. He had not noticed how fast time went, and for him, it still felt as though he had just woken up from being created.

It felt this way for many zoners. They did not have the same concept of time as humans in the Real World did. They did not have the same concept of age. Zoners are born into the world and then find their purpose, a place to live. Then they live about as if they had always been that way. Some zoners had a tougher time adjusting, and there were some unlucky zoners, like Skrawl, who had no purpose and invented their own. Of course, not all of them were as destructive as Skrawl.

Blocky was one such example. He had really no purpose. He was just a silly drawing that Rudy drew when he was a tiny boy in first grade. Just something little Rudy made when he was bored and wanted to have a little fun.

Coming into ChalkZone, he was like a newborn without a parent. He didn't know what he was going to do. Rudy only designed him to be a happy, fun-loving guy. Those traits stuck, but they did little to help him figure out his place in the world. So he had wandered around without a purpose. He never became as bad as Skrawl, or any other of the nastier zoners. He was able to find something to do, even if it didn't exactly benefit the other zoners.

He had been relieved when Rudy draw Snap. Although younger, Snap, at times, acted more mature than he did. Blocky had been impressed with how much Rudy had improved art wise. He felt some tinge of jealousy, but he never let it distract him from being nice with Snap. He was grateful to finally have someone to hang around with. Snap proved to be a great friend. And it was Snap who had reminded him of his birthday.

"Come on!" Snap cried as he dragged Blocky forward. A wide grin was on his face. "The party is about to get started!"

Blocky was perplexed. "Party? I don't remember anything about a party..."

"You _don't_?" Snap asked. He rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe I should have stuck a note in your house or something." He paused between two trees. He put his hand over his eyes and looked around. "It shouldn't be too far from here..." He tugged on Blocky again. "Let's get going!"

Blocky struggled to keep himself from slipping. He understood Snap's excitement. He was always one for parties, even if they weren't about him. But he wished he didn't tug so hard. He was nearly making his feet trip out from underneath him. It was a struggle just to keep his footing.

Snap appeared to realize what he was doing and, while he still gripped him tightly, he slowed down a little so that Blocky could keep up with him better. Blocky was relieved, but he still wished that Snap would just slow down. The party was going to wait for them, right? It wasn't like, if they were a few minutes late, everyone was just going to get up and walk away. But Snap was so excited, he wasn't taking this into account. He looked as if they just had to be there in the next few seconds or they would miss out on everything.

Snap was taking him along the grassy plains that stretched along the side of Candycane Forest. His first thought was that they were going to the city. He recognized this path. He knew that if they kept going along it, they would eventually reach ChalkZone City. It wasn't a bad place for such events, and with all the supplies that they had, there was so much they could do for a party.

Instead of that, however, Snap made a sudden, sharp turn, and Blocky found them going into the Candycane Forest. He stiffened up, momentarily remembering their nasty run-in with the mother chocolate bunny. Even though she had ended up being nice to them later on, he was still haunted by the memories of what had happened. Simply being in the forest was enough to trigger the memories, and try as he might to push it away, he was not able to fully dismiss it.

Snap had taken the mother's babies and he had tried to eat them. The thought still gave him a tinge of anger. He had tried to warn Snap, but he wouldn't listen, and they both nearly got _ripped apart_ by the angry mom because of it. At least it all worked out in the end, and Snap never tried to pull the stunt again after that.

Snap didn't appear nervous at all entering. His eyes were wide and focused. It was as if he was on some kind of mission. He looked left and right, as if trying to find something. Colors of white and red zipped by them in a blur as they kept turning seemingly randomnly. He had no idea what Snap saw that caused the changes of direction, but he could hardly focus on that as he tried in vain to keep himself from tripping.

His luck didn't last too long and he felt his foot get caught in something. A raised bump on the ground. He let out a cry of pain and he fell forward. He nearly smashed his face in the ground, Snap barely able to stop it from happening.

"Are you okay, Blocky?" Snap asked, looking at his friend with concern.

Blocky rubbed the top of his head. "Y-Yeah I'm fine..." He looked up at Snap. "But...can you please slow down? I don't think we need to be going this fast."

"I'm sorry." Snap said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just so excited!" He spread his arms out. "I mean, how often does a birthday come around?"

"Once a year?" Blocky asked.

Snap pointed a rounded hand at the rectangular zoner. "_Exactly_! There is no way I'm going to miss this kind of celebration! And neither should you!" Snap grabbed his other hand and started to pull him. "It's in your honor! You should hurry up and..."

Blocky planted his feet firmly on the ground. He tugged his hands back. He winced as he felt Snap's hand lose grip on him, making him stumble back. He looked at his hands and shook them. "I know you're excited, Snap. But we can take our time, right? I mean..." He paused for a moment. "It's not like the party is going to start without me, right?"

Snap blinked at this. He then rubbed the side of his face nervously, a small grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that, Blocky." He gave a quick, nervous chuckle before holding his hand out towards Blocky. "I do apologize about that."

"Oh don't worry about it." Blocky said with a smile. "We're almost there I'm sure." After a second, he gave a light frown. "...aren't we...?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yeah, it's real close!" He motioned with his hand, encouraging Blocky to come follow him. "So let's get going!" With that, he turned and continued walking along the path.

The walking continued for sometime. Without a watch or anyway to tell time, Blocky had no idea how much time had passed. For him, it felt like hours. Each step felt as though it was taking an eternity, and the effects of that increased each time he set his foot on the ground. He occassionally looked at Snap to see if there were any indication of him getting close. But Snap's expression didn't change, so Blocky just continued on forward.

They eventually reached a part of the Candycane Forest that he wasn't too familiar with. Up in front of him, he could see what appeared to be a whole ring of candycane trees. They were curved and bending down, creating a circular pattern. In front of them were a patch of candycane bushes, sharpened ends sticking out, as if to threaten anyone who tried to touch them. The sight of them was enough to make Blocky nervous, but Snap kept pulling him along.

Snap released him when they were standing between two of the candycane bushes. He placed a hand against one of the trees and pressed against it. To Blocky's surprise, the tree moved. Slowly, but it still moved, bending itself to one side. He repeated the same process with the one next to it. In seconds, a small opening was created between the two trees.

Blocky stared at this in wonder, his mouth open. He hadn't seen anything quite like this before. ChalkZone was truly full of surprises. He had been in this forest countless times, and he had never seen this section, nor did he ever see a candycane tree behave like that before. He looked over at Snap, his mouth still hanging open.

Realizing what Blocky was thinking, Snap said, "I found this place a little while ago. I figured it'd be perfect for your party!" He grabbed onto Blocky's hand and tugged on him. "Oh just wait until you see what it looks like on the inside!"

Blocky stammered, "Wh-What...?" His voice trailed off when he was pulled all the way into the interior circle. Snap let go. Blocky took in a sharp intake of breath as he looked around slowly.

The interior of the place had multiple, candycane colored rocks, each of them giving off a small light. It created a glow, giving the place some illumination as the candycane trees were so densely packed, the Day Zone sun had a hard time shining through. It bathed him in red and white colors, swirling around almost like a disco ball. There was a small stream of white fluids with red stripes moving through the center, and a few raised platforms. What sunlight could get through created a dapple effect, decorating everything with small, round shadows.

Then, in the center, he took notice of something else. It made him freeze, feeling shocked that he didn't notice this when he first walked in. And as he approached it slowly, he could practically feel Snap's grin spreading from behind him.

There, right before him, was a large group of zoners. Not just zoners, but tables, instruments, games. It was all clustered together. The zoners, some of which he recognized like Lars, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, waved at him, wide grins on their faces. They were all wearing party hats, some of them glowing some party streamers in his presence. A small band was in the background and they had begun to sing a rendition of Happy Birthday.

There was a huge cake on a large table in the center. It was not as large as Snap's cake was, but it was still quite a sight to behold. It wobbled a little as it was thin, with about five layers of frosting. The sight of it was enough to make Blocky's mouth water. He couldn't tell if it was baked by hand or if Rudy or Penny drew it for him. He would be grateful either way.

And there, hanging above the cake, a long streamer, strings attaching it to the trees. It had sparkling lights on it, along the rim, making it easy to make out its details. It was a lavishing green color, pale, close to the color of emerald. Written along the thin, flimsy cloth was a single phrase.

'**Happy Birthday Blocky'**

The sight of it made him smile. He stared at it for a few seconds. He then looked over at the group of zoners who had shown up for his birthday. He felt his smile tug tighter along his lips. "Th-Thanks, guys. You..didn't have to go through all this trouble for me."

"It was _no_ trouble at all." Rapsheeba said. "We were glad to do this for you!"

"Yeah! You don't need to apologize for anything." Howdy walked up to him. The living puppet looked up at him, meeting eyes with him. His smile was practically contagious-looking. "You deserve a party!"

"So why don't you kick back and relax, pal?" Snap walked up to him. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Blocky looked at him. Snap motioned his arm out towards one of the nearby chairs. "We walked for a while, so if you want to relax for a while, go on ahead." He then motioned to where the games were. "Whenever you're ready to have fun, join me over there!" He smiled broadly at Blocky. "Rudy and Penny cooked us up some fun games to play!"

At the mention of the two creators' names, Blocky asked, "Where are they? Will they be here soon?"

"Not yet." Snap shook his head. "They're still in school right now."

"They'll be here later." Lars spoke up. He raised a claw, pointing it up towards the sky. "I'm sure they will be here before the party is over."

Howdy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I don't think they would miss one of their best friend's birthdays!"

"And even if they are late..."

Blocky turned his head to the sound of pitter pattering on the ground. A silver shape appeared in the corner of his eye. It didn't take him long to see who it was. There was no mistaking that walking tub and the old lady that resided in it.

Bathtub Granny strode up towards the group. With her bathroom brush in her hand, scrubbing her back, she said, "You can bet that they will still find the time to hang out with you. So I wouldn't worry so much." She pointed her brush towards Blocky. "You just worry about having some fun, you hear?"

Blocky nodded his head a couple of times. "Yeah, I understand." He was about to say something else when he felt someone grab him from behind. He flipped himself to see who had grabbed him. "Oh hey, Rapsheeba." He said, smiling softly. "What are you...?"

"Come on! The band is going to play a song for you!" Rapsheeba cut him off before he coud finish his sentence. Her smile covered most of her face, going from ear to ear. "Let's sit down and enjoy it together!"

"Yeah! Come with us!" Snap walked up to Blocky's other side. He grabbed onto his other hand. He smiled broadly, the look of it alone being enough to fill Blocky's heart with positive emotions. "This band is pretty new, but I'm telling ya, they have some of the best music you ever did hear!"

Blocky found himself being dragged forward. His feet stumbled on the ground. His friends were able to hold him up just fine, however, and soon he was taken over towards one of the chairs. His friends released him, allowing him to be able to sit himself down. As he got comfortable and Rapsheeba and Snap joined him, up in front of him, he could see the band getting on the platform, getting ready to perform.

The band, Blocky noticed, consisted largely of cheetahs. Or were they some other species? Spotted cats was what he knew. They wear black suits and looked professional. He guessed that someone with some higher degree of artistic talent than Rudy had, as well as a taste in music, drew them. There were about four members, each one with a different instrument.

One of them walked forward a little, positioning himself in front of his bad members. Strapped around him was a gold trumpet, swinging slightly from side to side with each step. He grabbed onto the mic that was sitting in front of him. He tapped it a few times, getting feedback from the large speakers that surrounded them. The thumping sound encouraged the many zoners to quiet down and turn their attention to them. One by one, they all found a seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The feline zoner called out, raising his hand in the air. "Today is a special celebration!" He motioned his paw towards Blocky. "Cheerio And The Cheetahs would like to dedicate this number to our very own Blocky!"

The rectangular zoner smiled and blushed as there was a round of applause around him. He felt emotions moving through him swiftly. He felt his body shake a little. He had never felt this happy before.

The feline zoner raised his hand in the air, forming a fist. "Let's get this party started!" He swung his arm towards the band members behind him. Pointing at them, he cried out, "Hit it, boys!"

Instantly, Blocky's ears were filled with the drum roll of one of the members. It got his heart to speed up with excitement, and he felt his foot tapping tot he music. Then the drum was joined in by the other instruments. They soon fused together to create a sympony of music, a melody that hung strongly in the air.

He almost felt his heart leap out of his chest when he heard the felines start to sing about him. He was taken aback by it. He looked at Rapsheeba and Snap, who merely smiled back at him. Blocky turned his attention back to the singers. Even though he knew they were singing a song about him, he was still taken aback by the presence of lyrics. He wouldn't be able to write anything about himself. He was never good with words.

But these felines apparently were. He listened to them sing, seemingly coming up with lyrics on the fly. Verse after verse was sung, revealing more and more things about him, what he had done, among other things. And with each line his smile stretched more.

Leaning back in his chair, folding his arms behind his back, Blocky took in a deep breath and sighed softy. He closed his eyes and smiled as he listened to the song. This was one of the best days of his four year life in ChalkZone.

sss

Judging from Rudy's expression, it seemed as though he wanted to curse himself out. Penny tried to tell him that it was going to be fine, but Rudy was still stressed out. He had wanted to be there sooner, but problems had arisen. It wasn't his fault, but he still blamed himself. Penny wished he would just relax and calm down.

There was an incident at school earlier. Some kid had pulled the fire alarm, resulting in everyone being led out of the entire school. When it was quickly learned it was not a drill, which took maybe two seconds to realize that, the teachers, especially Mr. Wilter, scoured everywhere, interrogating everyone until they found the culprit. It turned out to be someone in a grade level one lower than them. She didn't remember the student's name, but they were sent to the principal's office for punishment.

Because of this, they were late getting back. The alarm had been pulled about half an hour before the final bell would ring. And it took about an _hour_ before they figured out who had done it. It was an inconvenience to everyone, students and teachers, all for the stupid actions of one.

But she wasn't too upset. They might be half an hour later than usual, but they were going to be able to get to Blocky's party before it ended. Rudy shouldn't blame himself for the actions of one other child. He wasn't the one who pulled that alarm. He shouldn't feel guilty about being later. Blocky would understand. He always did.

But Rudy was still worried. His expression never changed, save for a few deeper frowns. He looked like he was ready to tear his hair out. As they continued walking forward, Penny reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, Rudy. It's going to be okay." Penny said with a smile. "You'll see."

"What if he's angry with me, Penny? What if he's sitting there, waiting, and I don't show up, and..." Rudy's voice had something of a panicked edge to them. He stammed for a few more seconds before he finally trailed off, his voice dissipating in the air like vapor. He sighed and he said softly, "I'm just worried, that's all."

"I know you are, Rudy." Penny gave the boy a smile. She pulled him a little closer, the two of them still managing to walk despite how close they were together. "But Blocky will understand. He's not going to hold you by the neck if you're late. So please...try to relax."

Rudy lowered his head slightly. He darted his eyes from side to side. He gritted his teeth nervously. He then let out a soft sigh. "I suppose you're right, Penny." He smiled at his friend. "Thanks."

Penny continued to smile at her friend. "Don't mention it, Rudy." She nudged him forward, prompting him to move faster. "Now let's get going!"

With that, the two children quickened their pace across the grassy, hilly landscape. It didn't take them long before, in the distance, they could see the tell tale signs of the Candycane Forest. There was still some ways to go, but at their pace, they should be there in no time.

They kept up their speed, picking it up a little as they got closer. Though they could have run, they refused. They knew how intense the party was going to be, and they didn't want to waste any of it by running. They would rather save their energy for the fun and games that they were going to have when they arrived. At this rate, Penny knew they would be there in a couple of minutes.

They coud already hear the sounds of instruments playing. Dull at first, steadily getting louder as they approached. Soon they could being to slightly feel it in the ground, a reverberation that swept up their feet. If they didn't know where the party was, this would have been a definite give away.

Soon, they stood just outside the Candycane Forest. Penny and Rudy looked at one another. They gave a single nod to each other before turning their attention to the forest. They entered it.

They walked in a little bit, looking left and right. Penny wondered just how Snap and the zoners marked the place. How were they going to find their way to the party? The music wasn't helpful at this point as it now sounded like it was coming from all directions. A consequence of the music bouncing off the candycanes, she supposed. It didn't help that she didn't come into the Candycane Forest too often, and thus didn't know its structure as well as someone like, say, Blocky. And he wasn't here right now.

That was when she noticed something, as did Rudy. Most of the candycanes around here were single striped, like they would expect with a candycane. But there were a few ones that were double striped. A regular stripe, and then a much smaller one corresponding with it. This wasn't a random thing, either. They appeared to be forming a singular path going in one direction. Looking at each other momentarily, the two children headed down the path.

They followed it through the forest. They made left turns and right turns as the line of double striped candycanes led them to one particular location. They followed it, and as they did, they could feel the music's rumbling get more distinct, and the music definitely was increasing in volume, and not due to the reverberations off the candycane trees all around them.

Soon, they reached a clearing, and in front of them, they could see a circular formation of candycanes in front of them. And all of them were double striped. This realization made them smile at one another. They had finally reached the location of Blocky's party. They didn't hesitate to enter.

Rudy pushed one of the curving candycane trees to the side with surprising ease. The two of them walked past it and entered the large center 'room', if it could be called that. They were immediately greeted with the sights of the party and the sound of music.

There was a band of cheetahs playing some kind of song. Must be one that they wrote as she did not recognize it herself. They looked a little tired and it made her wonder just how long they had been playing. Turning her head, she could see there were some zoners playing games. Some were merely talking with each other, and some appeared to be passed out from exhaustion. Still others were enjoying the cake that she and Rudy had created for Blocky back at the bakery before they had to run off to school earlier today.

And there, sitting in the chair, was the birthday boy himself. Blocky was sitting between Snap and Rapsheeba. He was stuffing his face with cake, bits of it staining his face and chest. He didn't look presentable right then, but so long as he was having fun, that's what mattered.

It didn't take long for Snap to notice them. He grinned broadly at them, raising his hand and waving at them to come over. "Hey Bucko! Buckette!" He motioned for them to come over. "Join us! The party is just getting started!"

"It's been a few hours I'm sure." Rudy said, scratching his head. "How could it just be getting started?"

"Well we didn't really do anything until later. We had to still set things up." Rapsheeba explained as she continued eating her slice of cake

After Howdy, who sat at another part of the table, swallowed his piece, he said, "The party didn't start until...an hour ago at most."

"That is later than we thought it was going to be." Rudy said, his eyes filled with surprise. "Have you guys gotten to the main event yet?"

"You mean Blocky's song?" Snap asked. He nodded his head swiftly, the smile still on his face. "Yeah we did! _It was fantastic_!" His smile faltered slightly. "A shame you guys couldn't enjoy it as well."

"Oh that's all right." Penny said. It was a little disappointing not being able to hear the song that they had all written for the zoners to sing. They had all worked so hard on it and there were some hurdles to overcome with getting it to sound right. But in the end, it didn't matter if they heard it, just as long as it was enjoyed by the person they made it for. "Did Blocky enjoy it?"

"Yeah I did. It was great!" Blocky, who finally took notice of them after eating his cake, cried. He turned to face them. He looked ecstatic, like a kid on the morning of Christmas. He was smiling so broadly that it looked like his mouth would rip off from his face. "Maybe the band can sing it again for you?"

Rudy shook his head, waving his hand out in front of him. "Don't worry about it. It was your song, not ours."

Blocky tilted his head in uncertainty. "Are you sure? I..."

"Yes, I'm sure." Rudy placed his hand on Blocky's shoulder. "It's your party, Blocky. It was your song. As long as you enjoyed it, that's all that matters to me."

"And me." Penny touched Blocky's other shoulder. "And besides, we can do other things together. The party isn't over yet!"

"There is still plenty of time for fun!" Rudy said. He turned his head, looking at the area with the games. "Wanna play a game, Blocky? You can choose!"

"Oh sure! I'd love that!" Blocky cried.

Penny smiled at this, watching as Blocky tried to think of what game they could play. She was glad that Blocky was able to have fun and enjoy himself. And she was glad that she and Rudy would be able to join him and help Blocky have the time of his life today. He certainly deserved it.

It didn't take Blocky long to figure out a game for them to play. He immediately jumped out of his seat and rushed over, his feet moving himself across the ground as quickly as possible given his rectangle design. She and Rudy looked at one another and, on cue with Snap and the others, followed Blocky over. He proceeded to take out a board game. Penny smiled as she recognized it.

"Who is up for a round of Chalk Chess?" Blocky said with a grin, holding up the board game.

After some enthusiastic cries from Rudy, Penny, and a few zoners, they all settled down in a circle. Everyone was silent as Blocky quickly set up the game. They spent a few moments figuring out how it was going to work, making sure everyone got a turn. Soon, everything was ready and it was time to begin the game.

"Penny, you're first!" Blocky said.

"But it's your birthday." Penny said, confused. "You should go first."

"No. I insist." Blocky nudged the tip of the board against Penny. "I want you to have the first turn."

Penny was surprised by this gesture. She soon smiled. Blocky certainly was a generous zoner. Turning her attention to the board, she reached down for the dice. She remembered how differently Chalk Chess was played, and moves were determined by the roll of the dice. She cupped the pair in her hands, shook them, and then let them fall to the ground.

"That was a good move, Penny!" Blocky said enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Not many can get that high of a number on their first try!" Snap said. He took a look at the dice again, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You got an eleven..." He pointed his rounded hand at Penny. "So you can be either a knight or a bishop."

"I think I'll go with the bishop." Penny gripped her piece. She licked her lips as she tried to figure out the best move to make. She soon moved the pace a few paces to the right. Satisfied with her move, she looked around at the others. "Okay...who is next?"

sss

Rudy was disappointed in having to leave the party earlier than expected. As was Penny. But it wasn't like they had much of a choice. It was getting late and their parents were going to get suspicious if they did not return soon. So he and Penny gave a farewell to their zoner friends and headed off.

Rudy still couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt. Yeah, he knew the thing at school wasn't his fault and that he shouldn't get too upset about it. But he couldn't help it. He still felt that he should have been able to get back sooner. It was Blocky's birthday, a special day, and for him to be late... He felt it was an insult to his friend.

At least Blocky understood. He didn't seem at all upset about them being late and was just happy he was there. He appeared to be having a great time, which Rudy was glad for. The zoners really went out of their way to create a special party for him, with all kinds of songs and food and games. Even some stand up comedy near the end, hosted by Howdy.

He was glad the party was a success. He was glad that Blocky was having a great time on his birthday. So long as Blocky was happy, he was happy. The party still hadn't ended when he and Penny left. They spent a good two hours there, having fun. He hoped that Blocky would continue to have fun for the remainder of the party. He deserved it.

Rudy twirled his fork around the spaghetti his mom made. He pulled it up from the plate and resumed his consumption of it. He wasn't feeling that hungry right now, but he knew that if he didn't eat much, his parents might suspect something. He wasn't in the mood trying to come up with an explaination for them right now. So he just ate what he could without making himself feel too sick.

He looked around the table. Both his parents were positioned in their seats, both dining on their own plate of spaghetti. They had been a little quiet at the moment. He wasn't sure why. He didn't think anything of it and he looked back down on his plate. He was about to take another bite when he heard his mom speak up.

"Rudy."

Looking up at his dad, Rudy said, "Yeah? What is it?"

"We heard about the fire alarm mishap today." His dad said. He looked at Rudy, his eyes furrowed in concern. "You weren't hurt, _were you_?"

"What?" Rudy shook his head. He was confused as to why his dad would ask that. "Of course not! Why do you ask?"

"We heard from one of the other parents on this street that there was a ruckus." His mom said. He heard a clang as she set her fork down. "The child in question wasn't hurt too badly far as we know, so there's that." She interlocked her fingers on the table. She stared at Rudy for a moment and said, "We were just making sure that you weren't involved in any of these accidents."

Rudy was confused. He didn't remember any of this happening in school. None of the teachers had mentioned it. He wondered how many students were hurt in the confusion, and why none of the teachers told them about this. Or what if they did and he just wasn't paying attention? He wondered if Penny had heard anything.

He wasn't even sure how the accident could have occurred. Everyone was in single file line just as they rehearsed. They still moved pretty fast, though, rushing out of the building as some thought a real fire was going on. Maybe that's how it happened. A student could have tripped up and they got trampled, or perhaps pushed around, against the wall, wherever. He hoped the student was going to be okay.

"I can assure you I'm fine." Rudy smiled the best he could, hoping to reassure his parents. "No injuries or anything on me!"

His dad stared at him for a few seconds. He reached down with his fork and took another bite of food. "Well that's good. You were a little late and we were worried that you were limping home or something."

His mom nodded in agreement. "I know we were jumping to conclusions. We just..."

Rudy raised his hand up, silencing his parents. "It's okay." He said, still smiling at them. "I understand."

Rudy understood why his family was worried. They had every reason to be. If there had been an incident or two at the school during the alarm situation, it would be understandable if they were worried he got hurt. It didn't help that he had not gotten home at the usual time, and he had gone to ChalkZone as soon as he could. So it only made sense for his parents to think that something had happened to him. At least he was able to clear their minds of any similar thoughts that they had beforehand.

Rudy realized, however, that this meant that he had to be a bit more careful when and where he made his trips into ChalkZone. He should have realized his parents would be worried and he should have interacted with them more before heading out into ChalkZone. He could have them understand what happened earlier so they didn't worry. But he had been so worried about being late, he had overlooked that detail. Well, it won't happen again. He'd make sure of that.

He looked back down to his plate of food when his parents looked satisfied with his answer. He resumed eating, finishing off whatever was left of it. A bit of a tough task since he wasn't terribly hungry, but still manageable. The last thing he wanted was his parents to be worried about something else.

As soon as he was done, he got up from the table. He stretched his legs, feeling how sore they were from all the fun that he and his friends had at the party. He did his best to hide his discomfort from his parents, who were both looking at him in curiosity as he removed himself from the table.

"Are you finished already, son?" His dad asked.

Rudy nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to go up to my bedroom now."

His mom motioned towards the stove where the pot filled with spaghetti was located. "Are you sure you don't want more, dear?" His mom asked. "You usually go for seconds."

"Not this time. Sorry." Rudy took his plate and fork and headed towards the sink. "I've had enough."

His parents looked at each other. Rudy realized he goofed up when he saw looks of concerns on their faces. He had to think of something fast to quell any thoughts that they were likely having. And something did come to mind.

"We had some snacks in class." Rudy said quickly. His parents gave him a puzzled look. "I-It was part of our class project." Rudy smiled, doing his best not to look suspicious. "It was a _one time thing_. He has no plans on doing it again."

He hoped this lie worked. He hoped that his parents would buy it. They usually believed any of his other stories. So perhaps they will believe this one. Then again, he hadn't made a lie like this. Just thinking about it, he realized just how absurd it sounded. Since when did Mr. Wilter ever have any project relating to snacks?

_Oh no..if he screwed this up_... He could feel his heart start to race in his chest. A bit of sweat began to form on his brow. He did his best to keep smiling, but he was not able to stop the waves of fear rising up inside of him. He could only hope that, somehow, it all worked out in the end. Please let it work...

And his hopes had been answered. He could see his folks' faces relaxing, confusion leaving their eyes and mouths as they returned to a more neutral stance. His cover up story had worked.

"All right then, Rudy. You may leave now." His dad said as he resumed eating.

His mom waved at her son. "If we don't see you until the morning, good night!"

"Yeah. Good night!" Rudy said as he made his way out of the kitchen. He wasn't sure if he would be up in his room the whole time tonight, so it best to say that phrase to his parents now before they tried opening his door and potentially seeing ChalkZone's portal. Now _that_ would be a _disaster_...

He didn't take more than five seconds, six tops, to make it to the stairs. He was about to start to climb up them when something stopped him in his tracks.

A sound. Coming from the living room. Voices, and a bit of music. He realized that his parents must have left the television on. It was usually turned off at this time. He shrugged his shoulders and tried to make his way up the stairs, but the words started to get his attention. Out of curiosity, he peered into the living room, looking at the TV set.

It was the news. He usually didn't watch it, but from time to time, he would check it out. Part of it was to keep an eye on Terry. Ever since the time she had kidnapped Snap to put him on TV to expose ChalkZone, he had been more cautious around her. It was comforting that no one believed her, but there was always that chance she'd find someone. Vinnie was one such person, who had actually gotten into ChalkZone and tried to take it over. _If those two were ever to join up_...

He pushed the thought out of his head. Such an alliance between the two had yet to be forged, and even so, there wasn't a lot they could do without the magic chalk. Terry might know that's the gateway into ChalkZone, but she knew not of where to find it. And neither of them know about erasing things into existence, so they wouldn't try creating anything to steal the chalk. He relaxed himself, easing his heart rate, as he realized that ChalkZone was going to be fine.

Seeing nothing of interest on the TV, Rudy turned and began to walk away. It was just the weather and a few local stories. Not much that could keep his attention. However, he didn't get that far up the steps when something familiar caught his interest.

A familiar voice.

"I tellz you, zee plug on zat boy'z machine _wazn't zere before_. I don't know how he did it, but I will find out!"

Rudy froze for a moment. It was that doctor he had been taken by a couple months back. Doctor Von Doktor. He remembered how his blunder with forgetting to draw a power source nearly resulted in ChalkZone being _exposed_. The memory still, at times, made him shudder, especially with how determined the doctor was in figuring out how he had accomplished perpetual motion.

The only reason he had even gotten out of the mess was because of Penny. She had been able to sneak into the facility and devised a plan to foil Von's plans. He owed a lot to her that day. If it weren't for her, who knows what would have happened?

Judging from that one line he heard Von say, it was apparent that he hadn't given up. He wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not. He hadn't really thought about Von in all that time. After his humiliation, he didn't think Von would attempt something like that again. Well apparently he had been wrong about that. The man looked as determined as ever.

"Are you sure the boy had created a device that literally ran on no power?" The newswoman, not Terry Bouffant thank goodness, stood next to the old man. She was a bit taller than him and had sleek, back hair that reminded him of Vinnie. "Perhaps it did have a plug and you were so excited, that you just didn't see it."

Von stood a foot away from the newswoman. He glared down at the mic, which was moved closer towards him so he could speak. He looked flustered, as if he had been trying to argue with the woman for a while. He formed a fist, raising it up. Not a threat, but a show of determination.

"Yez I am sure! Doctor Von Doktor iz _never_ wrong!" He pointed a finger up towards the air as he said that. Rudy couldn't help but smile. Von's arrogance never ceased to amuse him. "Zat boy hid a scientific breakthrough, but I promize you, I will find a way to replicate the boy'z zuccezz. Perpetual motion is the way of zee future!"

The newswoman cocked an eyebrow at this. It was clear that she wasn't completely buying into this claim. "What will you do if you found out you were wasting your time?"

Von shot her a glare, looking offended that she dare say such a thing. "What was _zat_? Do you _doubt_ me?" The woman took a small step back, surprised momentarily. She soon returned the man's frown. "You doubt me, don't you? Everyone doubtz me! Well I will prove _all_ of you _wrong_! Zoon _I_ will be the one laughing!"

After that dramatic display, Rudy expected the woman to react to it. But when she did, it was deadpan and underwhelming. She merely gave an 'uh huh' before turning her attention back to the camera.

"Well that's all we have for our science section." The newswoman put the papers together and tapped them on the table to get them even. "Now we turn to..."

"No! I didn't get enough time! Zere'z ztill more to talk about!" Von cried. He rushed towards the camera, as if to grab it. "Wait! _Please_..."

The camera had already shifted. Soon, Rudy was seeing another group of people, and the images in the background suggest they were going to be covering something with farming. Seeing that the doctor was no longer the center of the camera's attention, Rudy turned and headed back towards the stairs.

"That Doctor Von Doktor...I still can't believe he's trying to do that. I hope he doesn't..."

"Oh don't worry about it, Millie. He won't get far. Ever since that..._incident_... he's been the laughing stock of the scientific community. Just let him tie himself in knots."

Rudy couldn't help but smile at the way his dad said that. His voice really did fit the tone of what happened. He knew his dad was right. There was no way that Von would get too far in whatever he had planned. No scientist in their right minds would invest in anything he had to say, not after the way he was humiliated in front of some of the leading scientists of world. How would they even begin to take him seriously after that?

A small chuckle exited Rudy's throat as he recalled how the news was so quick to change from him to farming. That was a testament to how little he was respected now. How desperate were they to switch to farming of all things? Von had started to plead to get more screen time and he didn't get it. The thought of Von grabbing the camera and shaking it, giving a slew of his arrogant comments, intermixed with a higher pitched, desperate voice, entertained Rudy's mind.

He fondly remembered that incident from months ago. As scary as it was nearly having ChalkZone exposed, Von's attitude was quite amusing. He was too easy to make fun of, even while he was there. It was amusing to mock the way he spoke and the things he said, and most of what he did wasn't even scary. It was just Von being Von. An arrogant scientist who believes that everything he thinks is right. It reminded him of some professional artists he saw once, who so stubbornly clung to the idea of them being the best artist ever that it just became comical.

He and Penny sure gave that doctor a run for his money. They had hit him in the ego and he was not going to forget it. Penny's plan had been genius, switching the machine's out like that. Von's temper, while disturbing on some level, was amusing to watch, and his tantrum was enough to make most scientists disinterested in listening to what he had to say.

Another chuckle left his throat as he quickly descended the staircase. He had a feeling that Von will not be seen on TV again any time soon. He probably had to beg to let them show him on TV, and after what happened, there was little chance he'd get on again. He didn't foresee anyone working with him anytime soon.

The man can continue on his research in his lab all he wanted to. He didn't know anything about the magic chalk or what it was capable of. He probably didn't know anything about a chalk world either. He was going to keep running himself around in circles, trying to figure out perpetual motion. His smile stretched more broadly along his face. Yeah, the man was not going to be of any concern to him.

Soon he reached the top of the stairs and he headed towards the bedroom. Perhaps he should head back into ChalkZone and talk to Penny. The least he could do was tell her. Even if there was no threat, she still deserved to know.

Yeah, that's exactly what he was going to do.

sss

"Why won't it work?!" Von slammed his fist against the device. "Produce zomething, _you piece of_..."

Suddenly, the contraption before him began to beep loudly. A red light eminated from it, giving it an ominous look. It began to wobble violently from side to side. The platform below it was shaking, and looked as if it was going to break apart any second. Steam rose out of its back, pillowing up into the air.

"Oh no..." Von muttered softly, his eyes bulging. He attempted to turn back and run, but it was too late.

There was a loud explosion that ripped through the sealed room. Von was blown back into the ground from the shere force. He collided into the ground. He rolled across the hard floor as he held onto his ears, the drums pounding in pain. The sounds of metal scraping and twisting filled his ears, and the smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils. He gritted his teeth as he laid there, groaning in pain.

It took a few seconds before everything settled down. He could hear the hiss of the machine dying from power loss. He opened up his eyes cautiously, looking over to see the aftermath of what had happened. Upon seeing the destruction, he climbed up to his feet, mouth agape as he saw what remained.

The machine on the table, looking like a more advanced version of the boy's, now lay in a few pieces, large portions of the metal ripped up and pealed almost lie a banana. Black smoke still drifted out, filling the room in a mist of blackness. A few sparks from the exposed wires could be seen, and their sizzling made his heart skip a beat, realizing that a _second explosion_ could be imminent.

Fear riding in his heart and smoke making his throat scratchy and uncomfortable, the old scientist immediately rushed to one side of the wall. There was a large button there. He pressed it. A loud buzzing sound could be heard as the smoke was starting to be sucked up into the vent. A loud sizzle brought his attention back to the machine. He looked at it fearfully and he rushed towards the door. He immediately got out and he sealed the room behind him.

He watched, his heart beating quickly, as the machine continued to spark, and soon small flames began to bathe it. His eyes bulging, he pressed a button on the wall. The fire alarm. It sent a signal to sprinklers located on the roof. They spewed out droplets of water which eventually stopped the flames and cooled down the machine. The sparks vanished completely.

The man turned off the sprinklers and wiped his brow. a sigh of relief escaping his throat. That was a close one. There was some damage done to the room, but it was still largely in tact and none of the important stuff was ruined. He was lucky this was all that had happened. It could have been so much worse.

So much for that experiment. He thought he had gotten all the right materials, but he was sadly mistaken. He twitched his nose and grumbled softly. If only that child had told him the secret, he wouldn't be in this mess. Such a breakthrough could have benefited society, and, more importantly, made him _rich_. But the little brat had chosen to be selfish, and he knew he wouldn't get another shot at him. The boy's parents weren't exactly pleased with him in the end, and wouldn't let him near their son again.

But this was only a minor setback. He was one of the smartest scientists in the world. He could easily figure out the solution to this puzzle. He just had to keep trying new materials and new configurations. And by chance, somehow, he would figure out what the boy had done to make that machine of his work with no power source. And when he figured it out...

...the whole town...no the _whole world_, would bask in his glory. Those who had mocked him would beg his forgiveness and plead to be hired by him. He would be the most famous scientist in the world. His name would be echoed through the ages. _No one_ would forget his name.

_Doctor Von Doktor_.

He brushed himself off. The dust that clung to his coat was easily smeared against his fingers. He looked them and made a 'blah' sound as he wiped it against his pants. At the moment, he cared not how messy he was. He had more important things to tend to.

He frowned at the machine, scowling in disgust. A shame that this one didn't work out. Oh well. Time to try again. He grabbed the now cooled, broken machine from the table and dropped it off in a corner with remnants of his other failed experimentations. He then looked over at the chalkboard that hung on the wall nearby. On it were smudges detailing his past attempts at building a machine. He walked over and grabbed a piece of chalk.

It was time to go back to the drawing board.


	2. Concerns

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 2: Concerns

_**When the smartest of you is worried, then you should worry.**_

sss

Penny was worried. She had seen that news broadcast the other day before she had dinner with her mom. She tried her best to remain calm, reminding herself that the man can't really do anything. He knew nothing of ChalkZone, after all.

Yet..she couldn't help but remain worried. She recalled her past incident with the man. He had been quite determined in figuring out perpetual motion from Rudy, refusing to buy his 'it was an accident' story that she knew he had come up with. Being a scientist, he was going to be smarter than the likes of Vinnie and Terry. So a lie like that wasn't going to fly. He was right when he said that Ruy didn't accidentally create that machine.

That man was going to become a problem if he kept poking his nose around. What if he made a discovery that brought him closer to ChalkZone? What if he found out the machine was made of chalk? Or the items it produced? What if he turned to _Terry_ for more information? There were so many things that could happen, and she held her head, trying to cope with it all.

Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe she just needed to relax a little. But she couldn't dismiss this. There was just too much at stake. Von might be harmless now, but if he ever got into ChalkZone, she knew the first thing he was going to want to do was experiment on zoners. She couldn't bear the thought of that, and she shuddered at the multiple thoughts racing through her head.

Zoners being strapped down. Electrocuted. Frozen. Burned. Injected with fluids. All sorts of horrific stuff. She would not put it past that man to do any of this. She had to make sure he didn't ever get a chance to get into ChalkZone or nab a zoner.

She wondered how Rudy felt. Surely he must have seen the news as well. Or at least heard of it. His parents could have heard and told him about it before they headed off to bed.

Rudy must be as disturbed as she was. Even if he might think back on how they stopped Von and how he didn't pose much of a threat now given the lack of knoweldge that he had, Rudy must realize how scary this situation still was. He knew how formidable the man could be, and back then, it was just trying to get answers out of him. The man wasn't trying to hurt him or anything. However, if Von increased his efforts and if he was unwilling to give up, how far would he take it? And how much would he learn?

Would he be able to gain access into ChalkZone? The thought chilled her blood.

Holding her plate of food, she looked left and right in the cafeteria. She had seen Rudy out in front of her when lunch was called, so she knew he would have sat down already. But finding him here wasn't too easy. The cafeteria was often packed, considering that there were set schedules; it wasn't like the students could just get up and get lunch whenever they wanted to. So she had to push her way through a couple of students in order to find Rudy.

She scanned the room, looking at the rows of grey tables. The cafeteria wasn't as large as some schools she had seen, but it was still flooding with students. There was still a long long of hungry kids waiting to get their meal, and the grey seats themselves were almost filled up. She kept looking. Sooner or later, she would find Rudy.

And sure enough she did. She found that he was sitting on the furthest table back, in the corner. He was holding a sandwich in his hands, biting into it and chewing. She immediately went over to him. She had to move past a large group of students who had gotten up to take their tray away. As soon as she was able to get past them, she reached the table in no time.

"Hello, Rudy." Penny said as she moved around in the front, noticing an empty seat right in front of her friend. Rudy lifted up his head, but did not speak due to there being food in his mouth. Instead, he nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Did you hear the news?" She asked as she sat down.

Rudy gave her a confused look, tilting his head slightly. He swallowed loudly and said, "News? What news?" He put his sandwich down. "What are you talking about, Penny?"

"The news that was on last night." Penny said. Her eyes were wide with concern. "I saw it not long after I got home."

Rudy still looked confused. He blinked his eyes a few times. Penny realized she probably should have explained it in a bit more detail. But when she attempted to speak, Rudy's face suddenly changed. A smile had appeared, and now it was Penny's turn to be surprised. "Oh, you mean with old _Doctor Von Doktor_?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, I'm not that worried about that guy."

Penny was confused at this. Rudy wasn't worried? Why not? He knows what the man could do. Wait, no he didn't. He had only gotten a taste of it. The man hardly did anything except speak to him. Neither of them knew what this man was truly capable of behind closed doors.

And even if they had a better idea of what he could do, they still shouldn't let their guards down. The man did nearly find out about ChalkZone thanks to Rudy's blunder. Penny knew that if Von gotten in, there was no telling what he'd do, and the stuff that she had a feeling he'd try, none was so pleasant. Surely Rudy must know about this, right? How could he just dismiss this?

Rudy noticed Penny's confused look. He smiled at her and said, "Von doesn't know anything about ChalkZone, Penny. He can work all he wants to on perpetual motion. But he isn't going to get any closer to finding out about ChalkZone." He took another bite of his sandwich.

Penny narrowed her eyes slightly. She lifted up her own sandwich and chewed off a small part of the corner. After she swallowed, she held her hand out in gesture and said, "And what if he _does_, Rudy?" The boy swallowed and stared at her. "What if he does figure out about ChalkZone? What if one of his experiments leads to him discovering something?"

Rudy swallowed another bite, nearly finished with his sandwich. "I understand where you're coming from, but I have serious doubts that Von will be able to do anything. He did not even see me use the magic chalk."

"What about that worried statement you made when I came in?" Penny raised an eyebrow.

"What statement?" Asked Rudy.

"The one where you said something about 'it's happening'..." Penny said. Rudy stared at her. She nodded her head. "Yes, Rudy. I heard that."

Penny recalled what happened when she went after Rudy. She had still been angry with him at the time, but that did not negate her want to help him. So she had followed him via ChalkZone. It had been weird using the chalk for the first time. Snap was quite shocked to see just her and not Rudy. After she explained the situation, he agreed to help her, and they headed towards the location of the science facility Rudy had been taken to.

Once she got to the right spot, she drew a portal and started to make her way in. Before she even got in, she heard a worried cry from Rudy, about something happening. She hadn't thought to ask him about that and now she wished she had brought it up earlier. He had sounded so scared and worried. While she knew that Von could have learned about ChalkZone, she wondered if Rudy's outburst there was the result of his fear.

Well, now she was going to find out.

"Can you elaborate on that?" Penny asked.

Rudy looked down at his tray. By this point, most of his sandwich was done. He placed the small bit that remained back on the tray. His expression shifted, his eyes furrowing in concern. It seemed Penny had hit something of a sore spot with him. Her expression softened up. She hadn't meant to upset him.

"Yeah..about that..." Rudy started to say. He sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. His face looked as if a ton of bad memories were coming back to him. "Yeah I was worried at the time. I just...wasn't thinking straight..and..." He placed his hand on the side of his head. "I had a vision of Von finding a way into ChalkZone, and he brought in a bunch of people with hazmat suits inside."

Penny put her hand on her mouth in horror. "Oh Rudy..."

"And when I saw you open up the portal, and your hand coming..." Rudy closed his eyes. "I thought that my nightmare had come true."

Penny reached over and placed her hand on Rudy's shoulder. "I'm so sorry I scared you, Rudy. I didn't mean to."

Rudy smiled at her. "Yeah...I know."

Penny removed her hand from him. She stared at him sympathetically. She probably should have been a little less...spooky when opening the portal. She realized she could have screwed things up big time. She had made the portal too large and she did not make sure that no one was there first. If she had drawn the portal when Dr. Von was still there... She shivered at the thought.

Oh well, at least that nightare was over. She had been able to help Rudy escape the facility and Von was not able to show off Rudy's chalk creation. He never became wise to the idea of a chalk world, and things had been able to shift back to normal.

At least...until now.

There was still the worry of what Von might do now. He was trying to figure out perpetual motion, yes, but what if they had left some kind of evidence behind? Or what if he spoke to Terry and grew wise to how Rudy could have created such a device? What if he _somehow_ came to some kind of conclusion that would cause them to cross paths again? Would they be able to outwit him again?

"Still..." Rudy's voice finally broke the silence that had settled between the two. "I don't think we have much to worry about him now." He gave a small smile at this. "I mean, he doesn't even have _me_." He pointed a thumb to himself, and then he pointed at Penny. "Or _you_." He settled his hands on the table. "I might not even be thinking about us right now."

"It's not wise to lower our guard, Rudy. You know that." Penny said, narrowing her eyes. "You know what could happen if we underestimate him." She held up her hand in gesture. "And you know what might...no, what _will_ happen...if he finds out about..."

"Yeah I know." Rudy nodded his head up and down. "I just don't want to get myself too worked up over something that's probably not going to happen." He looked up towards the ceiling for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He looked back at Penny. "I'm not saying Von can't be a threat, Penny. I'm just saying that maybe we shouldn't expend too much energy worrying about him getting into ChalkZone. What are the odds?"

Penny shook her head at this. She was surprised at how Rudy was acting. He of all people should know the risks in not taking something seriously enough. And if he did know how much of a threat Von could be, then why was he acting all dismissive of it? It didn't make any sense to her. If this was him trying to be brave, she wished he'd cut it out. He wasn't fooling anyone.

"What were the odds of Vinnie getting into ChalkZone? What were the odds of you not erasing that portal, which granted him access inside?" Penny glared at the boy in front of her. She held her and up, pointing a finger on one hand against the fingers of her other hand as she began to list off examples. "What were the odds that Terry would pick up the magic chalk instead of a regular one? What were the odds that Snap would be there and she would be able to grab him? What were the odds of you two getting there just in time for Terry to open up the portal?"

Rudy was silent at this. His eyes were wide. Penny knew that she was finally getting through to him. Before the boy could speak, she continued.

"Don't you see, Rudy?" Penny said, her eyes still narrowed. "_All_ those events had odds against them. It wasn't planned. We didn't see any of them coming. They all could have turned out very different." She placed her left hand down while her other grabbed her drink. "Seemingly impossible things happen all the time, Rudy. We shouldn't be entirely dismissive of this. I would think that, as the Guardian of ChalkZone, you would at least be on your guard in case that man _does_ try something."

As Penny drank, she watched Rudy, looking for any signs of him coming up with an answer. So far, he was just quiet. His stunned expression stared out in front of her, at nothing. He didn't look panicked, more so just realizing something that he hadn't before. She was glad that she was able to get him to see something. She remained quiet, allowing him time to come up with a response.

She hoped that they would be able to find a way to keep an eye on things. She could ask some zoners to stay stationed around where the man would draw his work on the chalkboard. Maybe even take pictures so she could analyze them. If she saw the formulas, she could check them out and make sure that none of them correlated with ChalkZone. If _any_ of his notes makes mention of a chalk world, she would sound the alarm, and she and her friends would have to do something to sabotage his work.

Of course, she did know that may not stop him forever. She shuddered at the idea of doing something more extreme. She did not want it to come to that. She and her friends detested violence. However, if Von kept on trying too hard, if he kept getting in the way even more so than Terry did, then they may have no choice but to consider it an option. They wouldn't be able to keep up with him forever. At some point, something had to give.

Hopefully, things wouldn't have to be taken that far. They never had to before. So perhaps luck would remain on their side, and things would be just fine.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that Rudy was looking at her again. He looked like he wanted to say something. She gave a nod of her head and waited.

"I know the risks, Penny. I know that the odds are still there he might figure out something. But as long as he doesn't find out about ChalkZone, it will be fine." Rudy said. He looked at her in the eyes, never turning away. He leaned forward. "I am not ignorant. I am not going to completely dismiss him. I do not think that he is going to be a threat, but I will acknowledge that he could be, given the right circumstance. Let's just not get too worked up and expend too much of our energy worrying. That may do more harm than good. Remember that stupid poison pen letter I wrote? How I got worked up because I thought we weren't invited?"

Penny nodded her head. She remembered that incident all too well. She had never seen Rudy behave that way before. It was quite scary.

"I don't want to make the same mistake, Penny. And since this is Von we are talking about, a miscalculation could be disastrous." Rudy said, making a few gestures with his hand. "If we get too distracted with this, what about Vinnie and Terry? They're currently bigger threats than Von. Skrawl, too. We can't divert attention away from him." He motioned both his hands at his sides. "You never know when he will hatch some other crazy scheme to take over ChalkZone!"

Penny had to admit it, but Rudy did have a point there. They did have several very real threats to ChalkZone. Skrawl was always trying to get it over one way or another, and then there were Terry and Vinnie. Unlike Von, they both _knew_ that ChalkZone existed, and they were both determined to find it and gain access. She agreed with Rudy that it would not be wise to divert too much attention away from them. If they worry too much about what Von might be doing, they may not detect a move from one of those three, and they could catch them by surprise.

"Hmm...you might be right, Rudy." Penny tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Right now, Skrawl, Terry, and Vinnie are bigger threats, and they _all know_ about ChalkZone." She paused for a moment and slapped herself in the face, realizing how stupid she sounded. "Well of course _Skrawl_ would! He _lives_ there!"

Rudy put his hand towards his mouth and gave a light-hearted chuckled. "Don't worry, I know what you mean."

Penny adjusted her glasses. "Still...I don't think it will be all that wise to completely dismiss Von." She looked over at Rudy, her eyes furrowed in determination. "Let's at least keep our guard up and watch out for any suspicious activity."

"Yeah...good idea." Rudy nodded his head. He rubbed the back of it nervously. "I certainly don't want to make a fool of myself again. I thought Vinnie wouldn't be a threat, and then I.."

"Rudy." Penny said softly, looking at Rudy sympathetically. "There's nothing that can change that now. At least you were able to get Vinnie out."

"Yeah... That's true." Rudy gave a small smile. "I'm sure our luck will continue to follow us."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah..."

The two children fell silent after that. They resumed eating their lunch. As Penny started to consume her sandwich, her thoughts felt like a hurricine inside her skull. Thoughts left and right shot through her, clouding her mind. She hadn't brought it up to Rudy, but there was something that had still had her worried.

It had been easy getting Vinnie out. He wasn't the brightest person around. All it took was getting him to ride a coaster that flung him out, and then the building collapsed, destroying the portal.

But what about Doctor Von Doktor? How easy would he be to get out? He was a _scientist_, after all. A person of a higher intellect. He was much smarter than Vinnie. He may not fall for a roller coaster ride that easily. He might see through a lot of their tricks and lies. If they ever had to collide with him to protect ChalkZone...

...how much of a chance _did_ they have..?

sss

The school day went faster than Penny and Rudy had expected. They were glad for that. Both wanted to head into ChalkZone. They had agreed to talk to Snap about the situation with Von. Regardless if there's a great chance of the man figuring out ChalkZone or not, they knew better than to leave their friend out of the equation. Snap might have some good ideas to try just in case the man became more than just a simple nuisance.

It would also provide them a safer place to be discussing this stuff. Both of them know how risky it was of them to talk in the cafeteria and in the classroom. They were lucky that no one spotted them. They both felt foolish for being so careless. They would be sure not to do that again.

The two children walked down the sidewalk. Side by side, they made their way through the neighborhood, adhering to the signs, stopping at lights when they needed to, and continued on their way. They were getting pretty close to Rudy's house. That was where they decided to meet. Penny's mom had given the okay for her to go to Rudy's place. She told her she would pick her up a few hours later. That gave them plenty of time to speak with Snap.

Although Rudy looked pretty calm and certain, his mind was a different story. His head was buzzing about, unable to be calm, the storm of thoughts bringing him a dull headache. Penny's words kept swirling around him, making it impossible for him to ignore.

He tried to tell himself that everything was going to be fine. He tried to tell himself that Von wouldn't be much of a threat. The man was a fruit loop, yes, a smart one at that, but he wasn't smart enough to figure out that the machine he made was based on chalk, despite holding it himself. He told himself time and again that Von had no clues regarding ChalkZone.

Yet...he couldn't completely dismiss what Penny said. He knew that she made a good point. There was a chance that Von could get wise to what they were doing. He could figure this stuff out. And if he did...

He shook his head mentally. No, he couldn't concern himself with that. Everything was going to be fine. Despite what he said to Penny, a part of him still wasn't fully concerned about Von. The man probably would never think to try to contact him again. Why, he was probably sitting in his chair, throwing away another rolled up piece of paper depicting another failed experiment. Maybe he was yelling at himself in frustration as he tried to figure out the thing about perpetual motion. Rudy smirked at the thought. It was pretty amusing watching the man blow up like that.

He casted the thoughts aside. That wasn't what he should be thinking about right now. As easy as it was to make fun of Von, he knew there were far more important things to concern himself with. Von was still a possible threat. A lower threat than Vinnie or Terry, but still a threat nonetheless. It was important to speak to Snap about this.

He looked out in front of him, adjusting his backpack's straps. He took note of the buildings, and how they were becoming increasingly familiar, on a more deep level than the others before. This was his neighborhood all right. His house would be a few blocks down. If he and Penny kept this up, they should get there in about ten minutes.

Soon they rounded the corner, the one that Rudy knew would get them on his home street. It wouldn't be long now. He and Penny were making excellent time. At this rate, they should be able to get into ChalkZone much earlier than they had expected. They could...

Rudy and Penny froze as soon as they made the turn. They nearly stumbled against something green and solid. They took a few steps back, craning their heads up to see someone they had hoped they wouldn't see again for a long time.

Terry Bouffant.

The woman was holding her usual reporting equipment, some of them stuffed in a large bag she was carrying. A mic was held in her hands, but not pointed out at them. Rather, it was resting at her side, as if she was either getting ready to report on something or she had just finished.

She stared down at them in surprise. She didn't seem like she had been expecting them. Her shocked expression didn't last very long, and soon a scowl of contempt came across her face. She took a step towards them, towering over the two children. Rudy and Penny cringed, though neither broke into a run as Terry wouldn't dare try to do anything to them out in the open like this.

"Rudy Tabootie... Penny Sanchez..." Terry glowered at them, her grip on her mic tightening. "What a _pleasant surprise_..."

"Yeah, you too..." Penny grumbled softly, glaring at the woman with a frown to match. "What are you doing here, Ms. Bouffant?" She moved her hand out in front of her. "I know our neighborhood is just _so full_ of stories..." Rudy could detect the subtle sarcasm. "...but whatever could you be trying to report on now?"

Terry scowled at this. "The grand opening of a new street light..."

Rudy chortled at this. "Wow, you've really gone downhill, Ms. Bouffant!"

Terry, however, found nothing funny about this. She took another step forward. Penny moved back while Rudy remained where he was. He leaned away when Terry pointed the mic close to him. The rounded tip nearly pushed up against his chest. He stared at it and then looked up at Terry. He stifled a shudder as he stared at those hate-filled eyes.

"Listen here, you little brat! It's _your_ fault that I am in this situation! No one will take me seriously anymore because of _your_ antics!" Terry's voice was filled with anger. Her body was shaking as the emotion swept through her. Rudy took a small step back, not wanting to be so close to the woman if she decided to explode. "If you hadn't been so _selfish_, I would have..."

"_Selfish_?!" Rudy snapped. He pointed a finger at Terry. The woman just continued to glare at him, not budging from her spot as the boy continued to speak. "You were the one who kept tailing me and Penny for _weeks_ trying to get us to spill the beans on a world that you know nothing about! _You_ are the one who is selfish, Ms. Bouffant! You don't even think of what might happen to all those innocent people if you..."

Rudy was stopped when Terry reached forward and grabbed him by his arm. With a yelp of surprise, he was yanked towards her.

"Rudy!" Penny cried, her eyes wide in shock. "Let him go, Ms. Bouffant!"

Terry did not listen. Rudy grunted in pain as the woman twisted his arm. He felt her lift him up off the ground effortlessly. She put her face close to his. Rudy glared at her, doing his best not to look afraid.

"You have no right to keep that world hidden, Tabootie. You made an incredible discovery and you are wasting it by hording it to yourself and playing the blasted _hero_!" Terry curled her lip up in disgust. "Then again, what should I expect from a _stupid little boy_ like yourself? You children understand nothing!"

"You're wrong!" Penny called out, causing Terry to turn her head towards her. "Rudy is not hogging the world to himself! He's just making sure it is safe from people like you..." She jabbed an accusing finger at Terry. "..who seek to exploit and harm it!"

Terry growled at this. "Oh really..? Well then, Sanchez..." Terry released Rudy and rounded on Penny. Rudy watched in horror as Terry cornered Penny against the street light. "What about you? If Rudy is the hero, are you his sidekick? Oh wait..." She raised a finger, a look of mock realization on her face. "That's _Snap_, isn't it? Well then..." Terry leaned towards Penny. "What does that make you? What's left for you? Someone who just stands on the sidelines, watching as Rudy works his magic protecting that precious world of yours?"

Penny said, "Y-You don't know..."

"Oh that's right. I don't know... Because to you, I'm an idiot. You think that I can't pick up on things. Well that's where you're wrong." Terry put a hand on her hip, her frown deepening. "At least Tabootie actually does something for that chalk world you two love to hide so much. You...you're nothing... You are just a worthless little tag along who just waits for Rudy to give you a command and toss you a bone." Penny's eyes widened at this. "Face it, Sanchez..." Terry sneered. "You're worthless."

Rudy's heart twisted at these words. Anger began to swell up in his stomach, the burning sensation moving through his arms. How dare Terry say those things... She had no right to judge Penny like that. He didn't know what got into her lately, but he had enough of listening to this. He marched forward towards them.

Rudy walked in front of Penny, making Terry take a few steps back. The woman stared at the boy in surprise, and then narrowed her eyes again. Rudy glared at her hatefully. He did his best to control his anger, knowing that he would only make things worse if he simply exploded in the woman's face. He took in a deep breath, feeling the burning anger on the edge of his own sigh. Once he felt he had calmed himself enough, he gave his retort.

"How dare you..." Rudy snarled at her. "What right do you have to say that about my friend? You don't have an inkling of what we do in that world you so desperately want to exploit. You haven't seen any of things any of us have accomplished. You have no idea what Penny is capable of. Just because you wear a fancy outfit and have a job and work at a newstation doesn't mean you automatically know everything! You know nothing about Penny, so stop actingl ike you do!"

"Rudy..." He heard Penny say behind him. There was a cautionary tone to her voice. "Let's just go."

"Yeah, Rudy. Go on. Go to that chalk world that you are selfishly keeping from everyone else." Terry taunted, a contempt-filled smile stretching on her face. "Go on, continue to act like you're so _damn special_, some _hero_, while your genius friend there wallows on your shadow, wishing she could be half as great as you.."

"At least Penny doesn't make a fool of herself trying to get a studio to greenlight an idea that anyone with half a mind would realize sounded cuckooo..." Rudy sneered at her.

Terry's eyes widened for a second at this. Her eyes soon furrowed, becoming narrowed. She twitched her eye, her lip raised up, baring her teeth at the little boy. Rudy felt his heart begin to race as the woman advanced on him. But he ignored his instincts to run. Terry can't do anything and he would not abandon Penny to her, even in these relatively safe circumstances.

"You little..." Terry growled. She then stopped. Something had caught her attention. The woman turned her head, looking at something. It didn't take long for Rudy and Penny to see what she was staring at.

There was a small family walking by. They appeared to be heading towards their house. A mother, father, and a couple of kids. They had stopped in their tracks and were staring over at them in confusion and uncertainty.

Rudy felt some sense of relief at this. He knew that Terry would defnitely back down now. Regardless of what she thought, she knew better than to continue on with her harrassment with witnesses around. He took a step closer to Penny, a sort of protective posture, done partly out of defending his friend and partly out of triggering concern in the family walking by. This made it even harder for Terry to make a move.

Terry knew she had been bested. She stared at the family, and then she looked back at the children. She glared hatefully at Rudy and Penny, her clenched fist shaking at her side. Rudy could see the frustration practically radiating off her body.

"Okay then...you win this round. But I'm warning you two..." Terry spoke in a low, growly voice. "...sooner or later, I _will_ expose that chalk world. You can't keep it hidden for long. Sooner or later, it _will_ be exposed. Mark my words..."

Rudy and Penny said nothing, frowning at the redhead as she turned and walked down the street. It didn't take her long to disappear down the street. Only after she disappeared completely did the children look at each other in worry.

That had been an unpleasant and unexpected encounter with Terry. She had acted more aggressive than usual. Granted, she didn't try to hurt them, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't try. The idea of Terry going that far frightened them. She was desperate enough to expose ChalkZone and she already resorted to underhanded tricks like kidnapping. To outright hurt them...

They shook the thought out of their heads. They had to focus on getting into ChalkZone to speak to Snap. That was their top priority right now. After giving a quick smile to the family to show them that they were fine, they continued on their way to Rudy's house. They both hoped they wouldn't run into anymore issues or delays.

sss

Joe Tabootie growled as he glared at the man in front of him. He couldn't believe that this man had the gall to show up at his house, making such a request. Did he not learn his lesson the last time they had encountered? What in the world gave him the right to come here and do this?

He could sense Millie beside him. He didn't bother looking, but he knew that she was also just as infuriated as he was. It was unfathomable that this man would try something like this again. It took all his strength not to punch the man in the face for coming here. He knew that wouldn't be the right thing to do and he held back the urge. He could sense his wife was having a hard time controlling herself as well.

The only thing good about this was that Rudy was not around. He didn't know what to tell his son if he came in with this man, of all people, in the house, waiting for him. He would imagine that Rudy would be quite uncomfortable, and he wouldn't blame him. He'd have every right to be nervous and upset. He knew that Rudy was going to be home any time, so he hoped to get this meeting done and over with soon.

But no matter what he tried to tell him, the man would not leave. He remained where he was, feet firmly planted on the ground. When he had knocked on his door, he had let himself in. He refused to march himself back out, and he showed determination of staying here until he got what he wanted.

Millie had suggested using physical force and just pushing him out. But Joe was against the idea, but only because he had a feeling this man would call the authorities and tell them what happened. Even though it would have been the man's fault, he might twist the words to make it look like they did it. Despite his reputation, Joe knew that there might be some people still willing to side with him. And if those people happen to be higher ups...

Of course, they could just call the police themselves. They hadn't yet tried ot use that threat before. They didn't want to resort to that. They hoped they could get the man to leave on their own. But if he continued on staying, then they may be left with no choice.

"Look, I understand you came a long way over here." Joe said, his teeth gritting slightly. "But I must ask you again to leave. You are not welcome here."

"Get out of our house." Millie said, joining in.

The man shook his head. "No. I will not leave." He narrowed his eyes. "Not until I get what I want."

Joe clenched his teeth at this. "We cannot grant you that wish, mister. We are telling you for the last time." He took a step forward, glaring into the man's eyes. "_Get out_."

The man gave a short, bitter chuckle. "You are really being unfair." He raised his hand up in gesture. "I did not make an unfair..."

"We don't care." Millie hissed, cutting him off. She put her hands on her hips, her glare practically piercing through the man's gaze. "Take your suitcase and show yourself to the door. We don't want to see you around our house again."

Joe nodded in agreement. He glared at the man, who had remained quiet for a few moments. The man didn't appear to budge, nor did it look like he was going to move anytime soon. Joe narrowed his eyes further. Of course the man would remain stubborn. They had said what they could to him, even trying to sound nice. But here, he still remained.

He was quite determined to talk to their son. But there was no way they would let that happen. Sure, this man never harmed their son in the past, but given how he had acted, and as the situation of what happened to them came to full light, the more disgust he felt for the man. He had only wanted to use Rudy, and here he was, trying to do the same thing again.

Not if he and Millie have anything to say about it. Regardless of how stubborn this man was, they would get him out. They just had to be even more stubborn.

"You are really pushing our buttons, mister." Joe pointed an accusatory finger at him. "We told you, we are not going to let you see Rudy. I don't care how much you are willing to pay us. You will _not_ use our boy like he's your property!"

The man blinked in confusion. He then rubbed his hands nervously. "I think you've got it all wrong, Mr. Tabootie. I never intended to do..."

Millie interjected. "Do you think we believe that?"

"Just get out of our house. _Now_!" Joe barked, his voice taking on a deep growl.

The man took a step back at this. His eyes widened, worry clearly etching on the features behind his glasses. The man locked eyes with him and Millie, not daring to look away. He still didn't leave, and he started to glare back at thim as if they were committing some terrible crime in not giving him access to their son. But there was some falter to him now, and when he took another step back, Joe realized that they probably finally got him to listen.

Before Joe could speak again and try to chase him out, he heard the door opening up. He turned his head, and his eyes widened as he spotted who was standing in the door way.

It was Rudy and his friend, Penny.

Silence fell upon the room. Uneasy, chilling, gripping his heart. He and Millie exchanged nervous looks. Neither of them had wanted Rudy to see this. And now here he was. Joe looked over at the man real quick, noticing that sick smile spreading across his face. Before he could say a word to him, he heard his son speak in a small voice.

"...dad...? Mom...? What's...what's _he_ doing here...?"

The man stared intently at Rudy, his smile shifting into a grin. "Why hello, Rudy... Remember me...?"

Rudy took a step back, his eyes wide in shock. Penny did likewise, looking just as shaken up to see this man as his son did. The man did not approach Rudy, but kept on smiling at him. Rudy took in a few quick breaths, memories flooding his mind.

Rudy managed to whisper softly. "Doctor Von Doktor..."

He was greeted with a broader smile.

sss

Rudy couldn't believe it. He felt his senses go numb. A cold sensation washed through his body. Any belief of there being no danger from this man went away the moment he saw him standing there. Penny's sentence had been cut short when they noticed an extra vehicle in the drive way. They had hoped it was nothing to get worked up about.

But then...this happened...

As soon as they opened up the door, they were treated to this horrible sight. His parents were not harmed, but they were in the middle of discussing something with this man. This horrible man that had nearly found out about ChalkZone, and had tried to drill his mind for information.

Doctor Von Doktor stared down at him with a smug smile. He looked as if he had been waiting here a long time, and there was a bit of triumph in his face. Judging from his parents' expressions, he guessed that they had been trying to make him leave, but with no luck. And the way the man was looking at him...it made him shudder. Was he waiting for _him_? Did he come here for him? That certainly seems the case.

And he just walked right on in, and had given this man what he wanted. _Himself_... Rudy gritted his teeth as he and Penny stood their ground. If the man wanted him, he was going to have to try harder. He had no intention on leaving with him, and he couldn't make him.

Rudy attempted to comfort himself by realizing his parents were here and no longer taking Von's crap. And he couldn't very well just take a child with him without the parents' permission. His mom and dad would never allow that. Von would be setting himself up for arrest. He would not take that risk, especially if it delays him from his precious research.

Still, he felt quite uneasy around him. He found it hard to look at the man, but even harder to look away. He gritted his teeth, adopting a somewhat defensive stance, a way of showing the old man that he wasn't going to come quietly. Penny narrowed her eyes, offering a similiar message.

"Don't worry, Rudy." Came his father's voice. It was slightly shaky, as if he was trying to sound calm, but found himself unable to. Rudy could hear the emotion dripping off his voice. "He was just leaving..." His dad glared at Von. "Weren't you?"

Von ignored him completely. His eyes were on Rudy only. The small child swallowed nervously, but puffed up his chest slightly to make himself look tougher. This seemed to amuse Von and he took a step forward. Rudy immediately deflated, and Von chuckled at how quickly he had backed down.

"It'z okay, child. I won't bite." Von said. "I just wanted to azk you a few _questionz_."

"Absolutely not!" Rudy moved back as his mom moved in front of him, blocking the man's access to him. "Get _out_!"

"Oh but you aren't even letting me..." Von started to say.

Rudy's dad, finally having enough of this, gripped the man by his shoulder. His hand squeezed his shoulder tightly. He saw Von flinch in pain and whirl his head over towards his dad. The staring contest lasted a few seconds before Von jerked himself free and take a step back.

"I will appreciate it if you didn't touch me again." Von said, his voice uncharacteristically dark. "I just got zis suit washed."

"And we would appreciate it if you leave now." Rudy's dad said, his frown deepening. "If you continue on staying here, then you will leave me no choice but to call the authorities."

His mom nodded her head. "We didn't want to do it, but if you don't get your ass out of here in the next twenty seconds, then we will get the police involved."

His dad folded his arms against his chest. "Now we wouldn't want to have _that_, now would we...?" He tilted his head slightly. "Especially after that incident where you were dragged off when you had totally lost it."

At this, the scientist's eyes widened. It seemed that, after however long the man was here, his parents had finally gotten a hook on him. Rudy, standing with Penny, watched as the old man's previous arrogance melted away slightly at the threat of a phone call. This became even more apparent when his dad added one more thing.

"If they reacted that way over something like that, I can just imagine how they would react if they found out you harrassed a child..."

Von stared at his dad in horror at this. He took a step back. He looked from both his mom and dad, and then back at Rudy. For a moment, Rudy could see a flash of anger and disappointment. He then looked back at his dad. His facial features relaxed as he gave a curt nod.

"Very well zen..." Von spoke in a barely controlled voice. "I'll be on my way. Zorry to dizturb you." Von began to head towards the door.

"And don't think about coming back here." Rudy's mom called after him.

"We're finished here." Rudy's father chimed in, his voice stiff and stern.

Von froze at this. He stopped right next to Rudy and Penny. Rudy's mom watched him warily, making sure he didn't try anything. Von looked down at Rudy with a sideways glance, and a smile slowly creeped onto his face. He looked into his mother's eyes before he said, "Oh no... We have barely..._begun_..."

Rudy shuddered as the man chuckled, his eyes looking directly at him now. He cringed back with Penny beside his mother. Penny glared at him, a hand formed into a fist. Rudy did his best to look brave, but Von could clearly see right through his attempt at a front.

"Get out of our house." His mom growled.

"Az you wish..." Von said. And with that, he was gone.


	3. Invitations

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 3: Invitations

_**Be mindful of the past, but be wary of the future.**_

sss

"Rudy...are you okay..?" Penny said to her friend in a quiet voice. When Rudy didn't answer, she pressed on. "You've been awfully quiet for a while..."

Rudy looked over at her. His eyes were wide, his pupils shrunk. He gave a shudder and looked away, not saying a word. Penny furrowed her eyes with concern. She reached towards her friend, but paused. She curled her fingers inward and yanked her arm back. She let out a soft sigh and stared at her friend sympathetically.

Rudy had been a bit shaken up since the incident with Von. Despite him being certain that Von won't be a threat, he was taken aback by his sudden presence in his house. And the way he had looked at him, spoked at him... She could just imagine how wrecked that made him feel.

Von wanted him for something. That much was clear. Chances are it had to do with the perpetual motion. But unlike last time, when he had a legal warrant and permission from Rudy's parents, this time, it sounded almost like he was willing to commit a crime to get what he wanted. The thought sent shudders through her body. If Von was willing to go that far, what would he do?

It didn't seem likely at first that he would. After all, he had been so blatant in his words that his statement alone could be used as justification to have him arrested. Von should know better than that. He should know what would happen if he were caught harrassing a child.

But then again..he wasn't always the brightest person. He was so single mindedly focused that he made the easiest of mistakes. He probably _would_ take that risk if it meant achieving his goals. And just because he took a risky route doesn't mean that he wouldn't be careful...

Penny turned her attention back to Rudy. He was sitting on the window sill. His head face towards the window itself and he stared outward. It didn't look like he was looking at anything in particular. His eyes were almost unfocused, and he had an anxious aura around his body.

She wished she knew how to cheer him up. His parents had already tried, but not with much luck. After the man left, Rudy asked what happened. When his parents explained the situation, it only made Rudy more nervous. Despite his parents' best attempts, they weren't able to get their son to calm down. Rudy was scared, no matter how hard he tried to hide it from them. And why wouldn't he be? Von had specifically targeted him and made it clear that he was going to come back.

Rudy had eventually gone up the stairs. Penny followed suit. She didn't want to leave him alone, not while he was in that state. She hoped that she would be able to figure out something to help her friend relax.

A part of Penny was a little glad that Rudy was going to take Von more seriously. That's what they should have been doing ever since they found out about his continued research in perpetual motion. It was only a matter of time before Von tried coming after him again. But at the same time, she didn't want Rudy to get hismelf all worked up. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on much if he spent all his time worrying about Von.

Penny looked left and right, standing not far from her friend. She looked down at him, a look of sympathy etched on her features. She hated seeing Rudy this way, all scared and nervous. She wanted to do something to help him, but what could she say? She had no idea if Von would stay back or not.

But she wouldn't leave him. No, now would be a horrible time for that. Rudy needed her right now. He needed the company. Someone to stay with him and keep him calm, telling him everything is going to be okay.

And that's just what she was going to do.

Taking in another deep breath, Penny moved a little closer to her friend, closing what tiny bit of gap still remained between the two. She leaned against her friend, pushing her body next to his. Her chest and stomach was pressed against his back as she slung her arms around him. She held on, pulling him close. Rudy shivered once, startled by the sudden gesture. He quickly relaxed, allowing Penny to hold him close.

"It's okay, Rudy. Everything will be fine. You'll see." Penny whispered softly to him. She rested her chin on the top of his head. "Please don't be too scared. Von won't come after you. I promise."

Rudy was quiet for a few moments. Then he said, "How do you know?" His voice was quiet. It was almost accusatory, but that might have been Penny's imagination. "He might just be biding his time, waiting, and then he..." His voice trailed off, his eyes widening slightly as a tinge of horror seemed to hit him.

"I doubt that he would do that, Rudy. He wouldn't want to get caught." Penny pointed out.

"Yeah, and that means he could just be waiting until he has a chance to..."

Penny cut him off. "Even then, it's too risky. Plus..." She raised a finger up as she illustrated her next point. "There's your parents. You know they wouldn't let Von come anywhere near you. You'll be fine."

Rudy didn't look convinced, however. In the reflection on the window, she could see Rudy gritting his teeth. His eyes moved slowly from side to side, as if he were trying to search for something. Perhaps Von? It was likely. It had only been an hour since Von left, and it was likely that he was hiding somewhere nearby, just waiting to strike.

But Penny knew it would be useless getting too worked up over that. They couldn't let himselves be ruled by fear. For all she knew, that's the effect Von wanted when he made that statement. Nothing more than an empty threat considering it would be too hard getting Rudy, or her, without someone noticing. He might be crazy, but he wasn't _that_ crazy.

"Look Rudy...why don't we go into ChalkZone now? We still need to speak to Snap about what we are going to do regarding Von." Penny suggested. "Plus, you and I both know that he needs to know about this."

"Yeah...I know..." Rudy said, nodding stiffly. "I know.." He went quiet after that, making no attempt to answer Penny's question.

Penny sighed, pulling her friend even closer to her, pressing her head against his. She could practically feel his heart beating, an abnormal pace, a sign of the worry that gripped him. It was confusing, startling for Penny to see Rudy in this state. A far cry from how he was earlier.

At the cafeteria, he had shown great certainty that Von would not be any sort of threat. He didn't think much of the man trying to do something. He had just dismissed him, and hardly gave the man a second thought.

But now that Von had shown up... Rudy's outlook had changed. He now knew that the man _would_ indeed come after him again. Considering how swiftly and suddenly he had been able to take the entire family, one must shudder at the consideration of what would happen if he were to try now. Would he succeed? Even if he didn't, just how far would he be able to go?

But right now, they shouldn't worry about that. They should be focusing on coming up with solutions, not dwelling on the past that they could not change. She hoped that Rudy would break out of this trance soon and return to the confident boy he had been earlier. He hoped that Von's appearance hadn't shaken up Rudy for long.

"Come on, Rudy." Penny said as she leaned beside Rudy. She took his arm and pulled gently. "Let's go see Snap now."

Rudy offered no resistance as Penny got him off the window sill and guided him towards the large chalkboard in his room. Rudy practically leaned on her, the shock of the earlier events zapping him of some of his strength. She could almost feel him slipping down, forcing her to hold onto him tighter so he wouldn't hit his face on the ground.

She pushed against him gently as she steadied him. She encouraged him silently to use his own strength to hold himself up. Luckily, Rudy wasn't too far gone in his emotions, and he was able to right himself quickly. She motioned towards the chalk board.

Slowly, Rudy took out his piece of chalk. He looked at the board. He gazed back at Penny, as if searching for help. She gave him a nod, gesturing him to proceed. After a moment's hesitation, Rudy leaned forward and began to draw the portal, granting them access into ChalkZone.

Penny hoped that Snap would be able to help them come up with a plan. And she hoped that Rudy felt better soon. If Von really isn't going to give up, they needed to be ready. And being distracted by fear would only leave them open to a move...

sss

Rudy did his best to push back his fear. He didn't want to let himself be ruled by it. He knew that wouldn't do him any good. Yet he found it hard to completely forget the worry that was struck into his heart a short time ago.

He found it unbelievable that he had let himself get into his state. He knew that Von wouldn't be much of a threat to him. It wasn't like he could make a move against him, like his parents and Penny said. It was too big of a risk. He knew his parents would keep him safe, and it wasn't like the school was going to let a random person come and take one of the students.

Yet he couldn't completely push aside his fear. The mere fact the man had shown up in his house uninvited was scary enough. Even though it wasn't like he just waltz in like he owned the place, his presence there alone was enough to unnerve him.

And the way he looked at him, too... He felt a cold shiver along his spine at that thought. He just wanted to curl up in a ball when he had seen the man stare at him with that expression. His eyes seemed to twinkle, spewing out a hidden, unheard message. There was some unspoken promise in there, and it didn't help that looking at the man's eyes then was like looking into the abyss.

He was glad that he listened to Penny's idea of coming into ChalkZone. He was still aware of the possible danger, and that it really wasn't over yet. He was aware that one slip up was all it would take for the man to find out about ChalkZone, and he knew that Von would want want to test them for all kinds of things. Painful tests that he would rather not have any zoner endure. It was just way too _cruel_.

But just being in here helped him feel more relaxed. It helped him realize that he was safe, that nothing bad had happened yet. It helped him wash away that anxiety through his spine, leaving his body like a cold yet hot vapor. It reminded him of happier times, of when he is exploring in ChalkZone with his friends, having a great time.

And most of all, it reminded him of hope. There was still a chance to make sure that ChalkZone stayed safe. The man didn't even know for certain of the place's existence, far as he knew, so there was much less of a threat of him coming in here, trying to take it over or exploit it.

However, they couldn't dismiss this probable threat. And that's just what he and his friends weren't going to do. Swallowing his fear, doing his best to look brave, Rudy proceeded with the discussion of what to do about Von. The results of this meeting would determine what they were going to do regarding Von. He hoped that they would be able to come up with a sensible solution.

"Whoa..."

That had been Snap. Rudy looked out in front of him. Standing not far away was Snap. He and Penny had just delivered the news to him. As they had expected, he did not take it well. He looked a bit shaken by what they told regarding Von.

"I don't believe it.. _Him_..of all people..?" Snap's eyes widened as he saw Rudy and Penny nod their heads. He gritted his teeth, lowering his gaze slightly. "That's _exactly_ what we need.._another_ nutjob trying to get into this place." He shook his head slowly.

Rudy couldn't blame Snap for how he felt. From what he had been told, Von wasn't exactly the best person to be around. He was another possible creepazoid that they will have to watch out for. It was tough enough with Terry and Vinnie. Now there was this guy. To an extent, he was worse than Terry or Vinnie and the reason was...

"Do you have any plans on how you are going to outwit a genius, Rudy?" Came Snap's question. It was blatant, short, and to the point. It was not accusatory, but rather it opened his eyes to the reality of the situation, and made him realize how difficult this really was going to be.

"I'm...I'm not sure..." Rudy said in a low whisper, his eyes widened slightly. "I really don't know.."

"Come on, there has to be something..." Penny said. "We've never given up before. Why start now?"

Rudy stared at his female friend. He admired her determination and spirit. He wished he could be as certain as Penny was about the situation. She wasn't willing to give up, and neither was he. Yet, he still felt uncertain about what they were going to do.

Going after the man wasn't an option. It would be too difficult to pull off. And too dangerous as well. They were better off thinking of a new strategy. But so far, none of the new thoughts they had made enough sense to even be brought up. As he looked around, seeing his friends' expressions, and the reflexion of his own in Snap's mirror, it became increasingly clear that none of them had been able to think of a sensible solution.

Rudy feel his gut start to twist in frustration as more time passed with no one speaking up. Were they really at this amount of loss of what to do? Did they really have no plans on how to deal with Von? It certainly seemed that way. He looked at his friends, and none of them looked close to being able to think of any kind of answer.

He let out a sigh, leaning himself back, tilting his head up. His mind went deep into thought. There had to be some kind of angle he hadn't thought of. A pathway they could choose that would benefit them. Von had shown enough that he wasn't going to be just sitting around, twiddling his fingers. They needed to figure out something soon, before he had a chance to make his move.

But...what could they do...? The man hadn't even done anything that major yet. Sure he showed up at his house and had tried to get to him. And when he left, it sounded as if he was willing to do whatever it took to get to him. It was clear that he was not going to give up. Yet...he hadn't done anything to him outside of what could be interpreted as a threat, and that might be seen as a stretch to the authorities.

Without knowing what the man was up to, outside of perpetual motion, they had little to go on to figure out how to deal with him. He didn't even know about ChalkZone, so trying to figure out a defense here was going to be a waste of time. Plus he did not want to panic the zoners over something that might not happen. Von was not yet a threat to ChalkZone, and he hoped it would stay that way.

He could feel his mind go numb, almost shut down, as the frustration began to take its toll. A wave of cold and hot energy swept through him, concentrating in his hands and fingertips, as he tried to figure out what they were going to do.

He exhaled slowly, loud enough to get his friends' attention. He could feel Snap and Penny's stares on him. He knew they were looking to him, hoping that he had figured out a plan. He glanced at them. They looked as frustrated as he had. He sucked on his lip and turned away. He gave another sweep of his mind, hoping to find something, anything... But in the end, he found nothing, and he glanced over at his friends.

"I...I can't think of anything.. I'm sorry." Rudy lowered his head. "I'm at a loss of what we can do. There just..." He raised his hands up at his side. "..just not enough that we could use to help devise a plan."

Penny frowned at this. "Well I'm sure we can think of something. We just..."

Rudy stared over at Penny. "We are probably better off just not doing anything for now." He paused for a moment. He couldn't believe the amount of disappointment he felt flow from his own mouth as he spoke those words. He usually was able to think of something, and the fact that, for the moment, he could not, it was an uncomfortable feeling. "...and just wait and see what happens. Cautiously of course."

Penny shook her head. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to put this off, Rudy." She held up her hand in gesture. "Keep in mind of what Von could do. He's a _scientist_, Rudy. Yeah, he might be a bit of a nut, and he isn't well respected anymore. But the mere fact that he's a scientist, and not just some business man like Vinnie Raton or a newsreporter like Terry Bouffant, this means that he isn't going to be as easily tricked. If he were ever to find out about ChalkZone..."

"_I know_, Penny..." Rudy cut her off. "I know..."

Rudy was well aware of what Von could do. Being a scientist, he may try to figure out the inner mechanics of the magic chalk and learn how it works. He might even be able to replicate it, and find a way into ChalkZone _without_ the need of magic chalk. The thought sent a cold chill down his spine. The very idea of something like that being created...

"Let's not forget what he might do to zoners..." Came Snap's grim, small voice.

Rudy's eyes widened at this. He exchanged a horrified glance with Penny. Another detail that they were all too familiar with. They only ever got a taste of zoner treatment when Terry stuffed Snap into her bag and when Vinnie showed interest in forcing zoners to be slaves in his amusement park. But they all knew, deep down, that only _scratched the surface_.

They all knew that scientists would be very interested in ChalkZone's mechanics, and the zoners themselves would be such an oddity to them. They would want to study them, learn about them. And while that in of itself wasn't bad, they were aware that it would likely involve the zoners being killed...or even tortured through various experimentations. Science was sometimes harsh when it came to learning.

And this harshness could very well be increased tenfold by the fact that zoners were often one of a kind, not to mention zoners usually don't die and could live forever provided they got enough to eat and drink. So there would be no corpses for the scientists to study; they'd have to make their own.

The three of them couldn't let that happen. Regardless of whatever good could come out of it, they wouldn't feel right letting the zoners suffer at the hands of scientists. Especially not at Von's. Sure, they understood most scientists wouldn't be doing it to be malicious, but they had little trust in Von. His quest to become famous, as well as his personality, may lead him to abuse his knowledge and any zoner that may end up trapped in his clutches.

Rudy shuddered at the horrific thoughts that entered his mind. There was so much that man could do to a zoner, and since a zoner wasn't human, he may not be so inclined to exercise restraint. An average scientist might be merciful enough to render a zoner brain dead before performing experiments on it. But Von, as well as some scientists, may not be so thoughtful.

"I hope he doesn't get a chance to..." Snap's voice trailed off. He looked at his friends, his expression alone finishing what he was going to say. It took Rudy and Penny only seconds to figure out what he was implying.

"Don't worry, Snap. He won't..." Penny said, her voice laced in determination.

"Does this mean you figured out what you are going to do?" Snap asked hopefully. "Because I can't think of anything. Well..." He rubbed his chin. "Except what you two normally do. Keep an eye on things, watch out for any suspicious actions or people..."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah, that's what we'll do." She looked over at Rudy. "That...seems to be the best we can do..."

Rudy noticed a slight falter in Penny's voice. She seemed disappointed that they weren't able to come up with any better plans. The idea of sitting and waiting didn't sound particularly exciting or efficient, but at the moment, it was all they could do. The more the three thought about it, the more they realized this to be the case.

As much as Rudy didn't want to, as much as he wanted to figure out something better, he realized that this was likely their best option. Wait and see, and hope for the best. But being careful to be on their guard in case something does happen.

"Yeah...I agree." Rudy said. He looked at Penny sympathetically. "I'm sorry we couldn't..."

"It's all right. I should have realized sooner that we would just be wasting time." Penny said. Though she smiled, Rudy could detect a bit of sadness behind it. "There isn't anything we can do now, since Doctor Von Doktor hasn't done enough for us to work off of. So..." She stood up from the couch, straightening her back. She glared softly at Snap and Rudy. "..let's just give him time to do something so we can better counter him."

Rudy and Snap nodded in agreement at this. They both knew it was best they could do for now. They just had to keep their guard up and prepare for any move the man may make. Even if he didn't do anything, they could not simply dismiss him and the threat he could pose for ChalkZone. It just wasn't worth the risk.

Rudy and his friends could only hope that their alarm raised on Von was going to be short lived.

sss

"That was some party!" Blocky exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

Rapsheeba nodded at this. "Yeah, it sure was."

Blocky twiddled his fingers together, excitemen racing through his body. Rapsheeba could see it practically dripping from his face. Though the party had ended the other day, Blocky was still reeling from excitement. She hoped he would settle down soon before he ended up giving himself a heart attack, despite how little sense that made.

"I can't wait until next year!" The rectangular zoner cried. He made no attempts on taming down the happiness that was still swelling inside of him. "I'll bet it'll be even _bigger, better_...!"

"Blocky, please settle down." Rapsheeba said cautiously. She looked left and right. "Don't disturb these people, please."

Rapsheeba and Blocky weren't out in the open, or in a park or anything. They were enjoying a meal together in a packed restaurant. Blocky's excitement had already gotten them a few stares from some other customers. And some of the workers were distracted from doing what they should be because of Blocky's high pitchd voice. She didn't want it to escalate any further than that.

"Oh..I'm sorry.." Blocky said as his body went lax. "I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry about it." Rapsheeba waved a dismissive hand. "I ain't mad at you. I just don't want to you to get too exciteable. Just relax and let's enjoy this dinner. I know it's not much of a birthday gift, but..."

"_Are you kidding me_?!" Blocky cried excitedly. He then stopped himself when he realized he was speaking up too loudly. He covered his mouth, looking around sheepishly. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time, taking care to be quieter. "Are you kidding? I love this! I've always wanted to come to this restaurant. This is a great gift!"

Rapsheeba smiled at this. "Well I glad you appreciate it, Blocky." She furrowed her eyes a little. "I still wished I had remembered to get you a present before the party..."

Blocky grinned at her. "No worries!" Noticing Rapsheeba's expression, he gave her a sympathetic look. "Although...if you do feel that bad, you could make up for it during the holidays in the winter."

Rapsheeba looked at him with a confused expression. "The holidays in the winter?"

"Yeah! You know..." Blocky held out his hands, waving them around as he tried to explain. "With the singing, and the gifts, and the decorations and..."

"Oh...! That one!" Rapsheeba nodded her head. "Okay, that does sound like a plan. However..." She put a hand on her hip and her smile broadened. "You have to give me something extra special." Her tone was somewhat playful. "You won't forget that, will you?"

Blocky shook his head. "Nope! I promise!"

Rapsheeba smiled at this. She knew Blocky would fulfill his promise. He always does. And she wouldn't really get angry at him if he didn't get her anything. Just him showing up for the party or concert or whatever she decided to do was good enough. Blocky knew this, too.

She was glad that Blocky enjoyed the party that was set up for him the other day. It had been a lot of hard work, especially finding a particular location. Not to mention finding a band to play, getting all the food, among other things. But it had all been worth it in the end. They were able to set things up faster than they thought, and they found a lovely space in the Candycane Forest that was large enough to house everyone involved.

Blocky's reaction had just been what they were hoping for, and then some. He was enthusiastic about everything in the party, and so happy to be there. He had been taken aback by the mount of work that went into the party. But he never once tried to hold himself back or try to be modest. He had enjoyed himself, playing games, laughing, even singing. It was exactly how they all had hoped the party would go. In the end, they all knew it had been a success.

But though Blocky was happy with his gifts, and he was happy with what she was giving him right now, she wished she could think of something else she could do for him. She felt obligued to do more for her friend. Perhaps she was overthinking it. Perhaps she might be overdoing it. But she couldn't help it. Blocky was such a nice person, and he was one of her closest friends. He deserved it. She started to search her mind, trying to think of something else she could give him.

Something more than a simple meal. Something more than a mere box of chocolates. A gift that meant something. A gift that he would not likely forget anytime soon, nor would anyone else. Something that she could be more proud of.

That's when it hit her. The perfect gift for her friend. It was almost like an avalanche of inspiration struck in her in the face. She knew exactly what she could get for her friend. It would be perfect.

"Hey Blocky?" Rapsheeba waited as Blocky turned to look at her. "You enjoy my parades, right?"

At this, Blocky cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I do! What makes you think that I don't?"

"Oh no, it's not that." Rapsheeba waved her hand in front of her. "I was just think that..."

"Your food, sir and ma'am."

Rapsheeba and Blocky went quiet as a voice cut them off from their conversation. They looked over and saw an insectoid zoner standing there, holding a couple trays in his three clawed hands. Seeing the food on the trays, they knew that their orders had just come in. They leaned back to give the waiter some room. The insect zoner wasted no time in setting the plates down carefully.

"Enjoy your meal." The insectoid zoner said as he started to turn and make his way to the next table. He moved too fast for them to properly thank him.

Rapsheeba looked down at their food to make sure they got the right meals. A quick sweep over eyes confirmed that their orders were correct. She immediately picked up her fork to begin eating.

After a few moments of dining in, Blocky said, "So...what was that you were talking about before?"

Rapsheeba swallowed her piece of food as she stared at Blocky. For a few seconds, she wasn't sure what he was talking about. This only lasted a second before she said, "Oh! Thanks for reminding me!" Rapsheeba took another bite of food before she set her fork down and leaned back against her chair. "Well there is an upcoming parade coming up soon in ChalkZone City. A big one that I'm organizing myself."

"Oh yeah?" Blocky asked. "I think I heard about it from a zoner passing by. I didn't know you were organizing it, though."

Rapsheeba nodded her head. "I am. It's something I worked really hard on. It's going to be bigger than any other parade I have ever been in charge of." She waved her hands outward to emphasize her point. Blocky's eyes widened in awe. "It's going to be spectacular!"

"I'll bet!" Blocky concurred, nodding his head. "You always hold the best parades!"

Rapsheeba blushed a little at this. "Thank you."

Blocky smiled for a few seconds. Then a look of curiosity came over his face. "So...why were you asking? Were you going to give me a great seat or something?" He spluttered at this. "I realize how stupid that sounded and..."

"It's quite all right." Rapsheeba said. Although the idea of giving Blocky a great seat to one of her concerts sounded like a splendid idea, she had something _much_ better in mind. "How would you like to be in the parade itself?"

Blocky's eyes widened at this. "Really...?" Rapsheeba smiled and nodded her head. Blocky's eyes brightened and a smile stretched along his face. More excitement dripped from his voice as he gave his reply. "That sounds wonderful! I would love that!"

"I had a feeling you would like it." Rapsheeba said.

"Love it? I don't just love it. I _adore_ it!" Blocky sounded more excited than a kid in a candy store. He loved her parades so much already, and the idea of actually being in the parade itself increased his excitement even more. "I can't believe it. I'm going to be in a parade!"

Blocky froze at this, realizing his voice was too high again. He and Rapsheeba looked left and right. Several zoners were looking at them now. They carried expressions of confusion and perplexion. Some looked as if they were whispering to another zoner about the rectangle's behavior. A few looked angry or annoyed that Blocky's outburst was distracting them from their own conversations or work.

Blocky gave a few quick chuckles, muttering some apologies to the zoners. He shrank himself down, embarrassment creeping along his face. He looked down towards the table, sheepishly eating a few pieces of food. The tension of zoners staring at them lasted for a little while before the zoners, one by one, looked away, resuming what they were doing before.

After clearing his throat a bit, Blocky spoke again, trying to sound calmer. "I would love that, Rapsheeba. But I would understand if you aren't able to put me in. Just watching the parade would be good enough for me. I wouldn't want you to waste your time on..."

"It's _not_ a waste, Blocky. You're my friend. I'm doing this because I care about you." Rapsheeba said with a smile on her face. "If I didn't consider you a great friend, I wouldn't be doing this. I'm giving you this offer because you are my friend and I want to do this. So please, don't think you are forcing me into this or anything. I'm doing this on my own free will."

Rapsheeba was not surprised that Blocky was a bit concerned about her offer. He wasn't the kind of guy to try to inflate his ego or anything like that, so it would be natural that he wouldn't want to take her gift offer if he felt that she was only making the offer because she thought she had to. That was how much of a nice guy Blocky was.

There was no reason for him to feel guilty about accepting the gift. She hoped he would come to realize that soon. She had a feeling he would, considering he had initially been taken aback by the amount of work that went into creating his party, but soon had come to enjoy it and had a really good time. The parade would be no different.

Yeah, maybe she was overdoing it a little. After all, getting him a nice place to watch the parade from would be easier. It would take a lot of convincing the rest of the marching parade to let an extra person in. This wasn't something they did all that much. Considering she was the leader, though, it would still be plausible, and she was willing to go the extra mile for a friend. Blocky was no exception.

Realizing she forgot a small detail, she added, "Oh and you are going to be in the front of the line."

Blocky nearly spat out his food at this. He coughed a few times Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically, uttering a soft apology. She hadn't meant to make him choke on his food like that. He looked at her, his eyes wide in shock. "The f-f-front..?" He whispered softly. The shaking in his body told Rapsheeba how much he was fighting not to explode in excitement. "Are you sure?"

Rapsheeba nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't have it any other way." She reached over and touched him on the shoulder, or rather, the best she could considering his design. "I would be proud to march alongside you in the parade."

Blocky stared at Raspheeba for several moments. He then smiled. "Thank you..." He said softly. "You too." He reached over with one of his hands, and soon Rapsheeba could feel his hand on her shoulder. He then pulled back and asked, "When is the parade?"

"It will be coming up soon." Rapsheeba said. She thought for a moment, trying to remember what day she had it scheduled for. "A couple days. I'll come find you the day before. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great." Blocky smiled. "I'll see you at the parade then!"

"I look forward to it." Rapsheeba smiled back at him before she resumed eating.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor stood in front of his table, various empty tubes sitting on it. He gripped the table with his hands tightly, a growing burning energy rising up inside of him. He felt his blood start to overheat as he failed to fight back his emotions.

His mind raged as he thought about the events that had happened to him as of late. Only a few months ago, he had been a distinguished scientist. He had been respected, on some level, and taken seriously enough that even the more famous scientists would stop by and see something that he had created or found out.

But now he was a laughing stock. Often, he would see his name in some story on the internet making fun of him, and he had found more than enough uncomfortable pictures on art sites to fill many tens of comic books. His name had been drug through the mud more than once, and it showed no signs of slowing down. Most of his fellow scientists turn their back to him now, not wanting to associate with a 'madman' who thought that a mere toy with a plug had replicated perpetual motion.

He had tried to defend himself. He had tried to look into other areas of science. He tried to buld up his credentials again. He tried to show everyone that he wasn't some crazy nut job. But he failed. None of his efforts had a long lasting effect. He knew he was not going to live this down. No one was going to allow him to.

So he had only one option that he could see. He had to go back to the one topic that had everyone turn against him in the first place. The subject that made him the source of ridicule.

He had to prove perpetual motion. Only then could he get his dignity back.

This meant that he had to turn to Rudy. That boy was the key to figuring all of this out. Rudy had been resistant to his interrogation technics before. But maybe he had to look at things from a new angle. Maybe if he thought of a new strategy, he could get the boy to spill the beans on how he accomplished such a tactic.

The emotions already rising inside of him increased at the mere thought of Rudy. His attempts at getting information earlier had failed thanks to his parents' interruption. But it wasn't them he was mad at. It was Rudy himself.

He was the one who caused all of this. He was the one who had created that wonderful machine, which could have made him famous, only to take it away and replace it with a replica with a plug. That must have been what happened. Yes, there was no other way it could have happened. The boy replaced it, all just to humiliate him in front of the scientists.

It was because of that little brat that he had lost any amount of respect he had garnered over the years. It was his fault that even the news stations were wary about putting him on for any length of time. He remembered, with bitterness in his mouth, how the television folks had switched too quickly from him. He barely had a few minutes time, despite being told he would be on for much longer.

Rudy... The very name made the old man's blood boil. That name became so hated in his mind, that just merely thinking about it was enough to set off a chain reaction in his mind. If he didn't have to worry about the law, he would slap that child up so bad, he would feel it for a week.

Recalling all the humiliation that Rudy had caused him made him form a fist with his hand. He shook it as the negative emotion surged through him. His eyes locked onto the empty vials, his angered mind envisioning Rudy's face on it, he suddenly lashed out, striking the objects with his fist. The vials were knocked across the table. A few of them rolled off, smashing on the ground. The sound of breaking glass filled his eyes, and he did not flinch.

It took him a few moments to calm himself down. His buzzing mind slowly settled into a more tranquil state of mind. He exhaled slowly, breathing out as much of the negative energy as he could. He looked down at the shattered glass, and, after a couple seconds, shook his head.

He was being immature about this. He couldn't let his hatred for Rudy cloud his judgment. He couldn't waste time on getting revenge on him. That would get him nowhere, and is more likely to result in him getting into more trouble.

No, instead, he should focus on what really mattered right now. He needed to keep his attention on unlocking the secrets of perpetual motion. As much as he hated Rudy, he would get a lot more out of talking to the boy than trying to threaten him or even hurt him. He knew he slipped up when he gave that thinly disguised threat to Rudy earlier. He would need to be more careful next time and focus his attention on perpetual motion.

There was another reason that he knew he shouldn't tangle with Rudy. One that he made sure to remember whenever he thought about him.

The boy had been able to figure out perpetual motion. He was able to piece together some puzzle, some formula, that enabled him to create a machine that had no power source. That would have taken no less than a stroke of genius. And not only did the boy figure out perpetual motion, but he treated it like a _toy_, making a little plaything with it, and bobbleheads. If he could dismiss this discovery as an 'accident', then what other genius lay within the boy? Von knew better than to mess with a child of that kind of intellect. He would need to tread lightly with him.

He turned his gaze towards the other table in the room. There was an object on there. It was very much like the one that had exploded. He had went back to the drawing board and created a new one, this one sturdier and hopefully far less...explodey than the last one. He walked up to it, his eyes moving up and down as he investigated its design.

A part of him was still flabbergasted that the boy achieved perpetual motion with this design. It seemed so ineffecient...yet somehow it worked. Somehow, the boy managed to make it function. Yet his attempts to replicate it had always failed. The boy had some kind of secret... An interior portion perhaps. Something that he could not see. If only he had gotten a look inside that machine, he...

He shook his head. He felt himself start to get angry and frustrated again. He couldn't allow that. He would figure it out sooner or later. He just needed to about this the right way. He had to approach the problem from the correct angle. It would take a lot of trial and error, but he'd figure it out eventually. Even if that little brat refused to help him, he would figure out his secret. And then no one would dare make fun of him again...

He approached the machine, taking a small step forward. He reached towards it, folding his fingers against his palm while extending out his pointer. He pressed it against the button, and hoped for the best. He watched the machine intently, waiting, watching, crossing his fingers that something would happen.

...and it just remained still as stone. No churning of the wheels. No rattling of inward gears. No bobble heads of a weird blue kid coming out. Just...nothing. Nada. Zilch. It took him only a second to know that his experiment had failed. _Again_.

He growled softly, fighting back the urge to scream in frustration. This had been the twentieth time he had failed. Twenty times trying to get this experiment right. Or maybe it had been more. He had lost track, a testament to how many times he had tried to replicate the boy's results. This machine might _look_ just like the one the boy had made. But it was clear it was far less than stellar. He picked it up and threw it away in disgust.

He had to figure out how the boy accomplished this. He had to figure out how he managed to discover this ability, something that had eluded scientists for so long. It would revolutionize the way machines were built. It would change _everything_. How...how could a little child like Rudy outsmart the best of scientists? How could he outsmart _him_, of all people?

Then something entered his mind. Something, or rather, someone he hadn't thought of for a while.

Terry Bouffant.

He remembered when that woman had come over to interrogate him. Well she called it an interview, but to him, it was an interrogation. He hadn't been happy with her sudden intrusion, and how forceful her questioning had been. It felt as though she was boxing him into a corner, and she seemed rather...obsessed.

He recalled that she had been trying to prove the existence of a chalk world. He had heard, from an off hand source, that she had used him as one of her witnesses in her case for this chalk world. The idea made his blood boil. Just what he needed. _More_ reasons for people to mock him. His name was ruined enough; he didn't need that crazy woman distorting it further.

And a world made of chalk...? How ludicrous. No creature could survive being made entirely of chalk. It just wasn't possible. The mere act of standing in the rain would be enough to cause their bodies to break down. Why would nature devise such a poor construct? No world could last that long being made of chalk, let alone a single species. Terry was just spewing out nonsense. Yet she got less ridicule compared to him. She gets more time on television than he does, and he sees far less jokes about her than of himself.

It just wasn't fair. Terry was absolutely insane, bragging on and on about that stupid chalk world that everyone knows isn't real, while he had been shown a genuine scientific discovery, and made the blunder of not realizing the machines were switched out, and yet he is the one who is being ripped apart in the media, while Terry is given a much tamer response. He chalked it up, no pun intended, to her being a woman, and young. To them, he was a more acceptable target. And the thought burned his mind.

A thought crossed his mind. He thought back to what Terry had said to him, and what he had heard she was talking about. Apparently in this world of chalk, the laws of physics would be...quite different. Namely, they could be distorted to benefit the drawing itself, resulting in seemingly impossible creations functioning as they had been intended to.

If he understood this statement right, this meant that something like a giant dragon with tiny wings could fly, or a crawling baby could outrun a full grown human, and that was just scratching the surface. The possibilities were practically endless. If this were the case, then maybe it was possible for...

He shook his head. What was he thinking? He was getting himself caught up in that stupid chalk conspiracy that Ms. Bouffant came up with. His reputation did not need him to get involved with something like that. He was already a big enough laughing stock. The last thing he needed was to sound as crazy as Ms. Bouffant did. That wacked out news reporter must have been smoking crack when she thought of this whole 'expose the chalk world' nonsense. He was not going to get involved with that.

He turned his attention back to the broken machine on the ground. He had to admit, a drawing version would answer the question of perpetual motion, but he knew that wasn't the case. The boy did not make that machine out of chalk. He had felt it himself. It did not feel like chalk, therefore it wasn't chalk. It was real. The boy had made it with his own bare hands. He had discovered perpetual motion and he had gotten it to work.

He _would_ figure out the boy's secret sooner or later. It was just a matter of time.


	4. Attempts

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 4: Attempts

_**To comprehend is to understand.**_

sss

Dr. Von Doktor made his way down the corridors of his facility. He tried to ignore how dusty and dirty some areas were getting. He hadn't been able to upkeep it as much as he did when he had more people working with him. The place was stigmatized by his name being present and hardly anyone showed interest. Even just paying the bills on the building's electricity was becoming difficult.

Despite that, he was able to keep the building up and running. He was able to keep it at least decently clean, and he was able to stave off the electric bill, paying enough to be satisfying for the electric company. This prolonged his time that he could use to experiemtn and try to make a scientific breakthrough.

However, this wasn't going to last for long. He could only do this for so long before it would start catching up to him. Parts of the building were going to, eventually, need repair or somebody to look at them. The electric company would eventually shut down his power. He was going to, at some point, have to cough up some dough. And while he wasn't poor, he wasn't rich either. The amount of money he had gotten shrank since that incident, which drove him even more to figure out perpetual motion.

He knew that if he could figure it out, he would have enough money that he no longer needed to worry about this building. He wouldn't need to sit at home, thinking for practically hours trying to come up with a plan, or worrying about what might come. He would be able to sit back and relax, and not have a worry in the world.

But who was he kidding? He hadn't been able to succeed in his plans for months. He never had a stroke of luck or anything go his way. All that he was treated to was, time and time again, being shown how much of a fool he was. All his efforts were tossed back at his face and kept reminding him of all he had lost because of this quest to find perpetual motion.

There had even been times when he started to doubt himself. Perhaps the boy really didn't discover perpetual motion. Maybe there had been a plug there and he was too excited to even notice it. Maybe he really was such an idiot like everyone said, and he wasn't as smart as he thought. The doubts sometimes rained down on him, making his shoulders and back feel heavy. The idea of his credentials being worthless was not a comfortable feeling. And like what happened several times before, he could feel his ego deflate a little.

He shook his head. No, he couldn't let himself fall into doubt like that. He couldn't bring himself to believe that he was an idiot. That's exactly what they would want him to think. He was not going to let them win. No, he was Doctor Von Doktor, and he was _never_ wrong...

He just had to figure out the boy's angle. He had to learn what he had done to get perpetual motion working. He told himself this over and over again. He had to remind himself of what joy awaits once he learned the boy's little secret. It was this that kept him going. It was this that gave him the strength to keep trying, despite all the failures time and time again.

The boy's machine was the key to all of this. If only he still had it, he could look inside of it and figure out how it worked. But it was gone. The little brats had took it away from him, replacing it with a worthless piece of junk. Now he would never...

...or would he?

Von paused in the middle of the hallway. His eyes widened slightly as a realization struck him. Could it be that he could...? Of course, why didn't he think of it before? He should have thought of this a long time ago. He had been so focused on recreating the machine that he hadn't thought to...

He raised his head up and looked left and right. He looked at the signs that were plastered on the walls of his building. He used them to guide himself down to another part of the building. Left and right he went, and then down a flight of stairs. He made a right turn and headed down the hallway until he reached a two way intersection. He turned left here.

On this hallway, when he looked down, he could see a door that was slightly opened. He could smell a bit of dust. This was an area of the building that was going to need cleaning soon. He would take care of that later, and he moved towards the open door. He soon reached it and pulled it open further. He moved his body around and looked inside.

The room looked similar to the one he kept Rudy in before. This one was a tad larger, however, and was mostly empty. No table or chairs. Just a single cabinet and a dirty chalkboard. He had used this room for conferences in the past, but had since moved to a different, slightly smaller room after he had lost a few members.

He slowly approached the cabinet. It was tall and had glass windows on its doors. He could see inside of it. It was mostly dirty, but he could see the distorted image of one item that was in there. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small key. He put it in the lock, which was located in the middle of the cabinet, and turned it. He opened it up and he could see, unhindered what was inside.

It was the boy's invention. Or rather, the copy of it. He had never tossed it out, despite all portions of his brain telling him to. The mere sight of it was enough to get his blood heated up. He had to force himself to calm down, and keep himself from losing his temper again.

He had sealed this item down here not because of efficiency. There were better places to put it. Instead, he did it out of the desire to not see the item anymore. A part of him couldn't just throw it away, no matter how much he wanted to. So he kept it around, but sealed off so he wouldn't have to look at it. Just seeing it reminded him of his failure, and how that boy had made a clown out of him.

But perhaps, the item could finally be of some use to him. It was identical to the one the boy made, minus the fact that this one had a plug. Perhaps his machines weren't as identical as he thought. Perhaps this machine could help show him some ideas of what Rudy's design was really like.

He could take this machine, open it up, look inside of it. He could examine it and see what made it tick. It wouldn't reveal much answers for him, considering this stupid thing wasn't capable of perpetual motion. But it would still serve a purpose to him. Yes, this machine could finally be of some use.

He reached inside and grabbed onto it. He pulled it out and cradled it in his arms. He looked down at it. It was amazing how much this looked like the boy's actual machine, right down to the fine detail, and even the way it felt. He had found no difference. The only thing that separated this machine from Rudy's was the small opening in the back. The case where the plug came out and activated the machine. The opening that he, himself, had failed to notice when he tried to show the scientists.

Now it was time to take a closer look at this thing. Now was the time for him to see the inside of it and figure out what the boy may have done to achieve perpetual motion. It would be difficult, and he knew this stupid thing wasn't going to open many doors for him. But it would help him a little, and hopefully bring him ever closer to discovering the truth. The boy's secret will not stay secret for long. He would see to that.

sss

"Wait...you guys ran into Ms. Bouffant?" Snap asked, his eyes wide. When he saw his friends nod, he could feel his heart twist. "What happened? Did she try anything?"

Rudy shook his head. "Not really."

"Well she did harrass us, but she didn't hurt us." Penny chimed in, correcting Rudy. "She was out in the open, as we were, so it wasn't like she could do much."

"Yeah..." Rudy nodded. He turned his gaze down. "It was rather uncomfortable seeing her again. And her words..." He looked left and right nervously. "I have a feeling we may be running into her again sometime in the future."

"Well keep an eye out." Snap pointed his rounded hand at his friends. "You know what she did the last time." The two children nodded. There was no way they would forget that event. He spread his hands outward. "Who knows what she might do next time?"

Snap's mind filled with thoughts of what had happened the last time they encountered Terry. From what he was told, Terry had commonly shown up at the strange situations that came about as a result of ChalkZone. She hadn't really pieced together anything and at first, she just seemed likea harmless reporter.

That all changed, so quickly, when Rudy came over one day and told him that he could not be in ChalkZone for a while. It was then that Snap learned that Terry had, out of the blue, obtained an obsession with discovering the chalk world. She had pieced the puzzles together and had figured out there was a chalk world out there somewhere. This realization had chilled them all to the bone. None of them had told her about this. She figured it out on her own, and she was doing whatever she could to expose it.

They didn't even have time to figure out what they were going to do. Terry had shown up not long after Rudy fully explained what she was doing. Really bad luck timing right there. Snap had made the mistake of speaking at the wrong time, and Terry had found him. He tried to get away from her, but he was stopped, and he was folded into her bag. It was quite an uncomfortable, painful situation for him, and he was trapped in the dark as Terry took him to the news station.

At first, Snap thought everything was going to be okay because the people there only saw him as a clown. He could simply perform and there'd be no risk of ChalkZone being exposed. Then he rubbed it in Terry's face, which he regretted quickly when he found that she had the magic chalk. Despite his efforts, she had discovered the world and locked him back into ChalkZone so she could expose it.

He immediately ran to find Rudy and luckily he did. He told him everything and the two of them immediately went to stop her. When they returned where he came in from, the chalkboard was moved, so they had to find the newstation. They had gotten there just in time and managed to set up a plan to make her relinquish the chalk. Terry had been stopped and humiliated in front of a large audience, and anyone who happened to see the broadcast. Her name was ruined and she was forced to work on the small time news.

They had all hoped that would be the end of it, and that they wouldn't have to worry about her again. She hadn't tried anything since then. She didn't even try interviewing Rudy and Penny again since the incident. Part of it was likely just because she hadn't found anyone who would be interested enough to show anything related to the chalk world.

But now that she showed up again, and based on what she said to Rudy and Penny, Snap knew this was far from over. Terry was very angry, and they had no idea just how vengeful she might be. She could be one of those who would do what it took to get back at those who she felt wronged her. And given just how smart she was, if she could figure out about ChalkZone on her own, there was the chance that she could figure out a plan that was foolproof, something they would not be able to counter. She might succeed in exposing ChalkZone, and she had motivation and drive to do so.

Out of all the villains they had to take care of, Terry was one of the scariest. The fact that she could very well succeed, that she could strike at any time, that she had good reason to get back at them, did little to comfort them.

"Don't worry, Snap. We will not let our guard down." Rudy said. His eyes narrowed in determination. He formed a fist with his right hand and he slammed it into his left palm. "You can count on us. We will make sure she stays _far_ away from ChalkZone."

"That's the spirit!" Snap said with a smile. "I'm sure if we work hard enough, Ms. Bouffant will _never_ find a way into this place!"

"We should never let our guard down, however." Penny said, making the point that Snap and Rudy already knew. "Until we are certain that she will never try getting in again, we will have to continue treating her like a threat. She is stubborn as a mule and I don't see her giving up completely any time." She paused for a moment. She contorted her face slightly in concern. "Plus...there is the fact that she knows some things about us. Like where we go to school, and that stunt you two pulled..."

"Yeah I know..." Rudy said quietly. His expression showed he felt a bit of regret for doing that. He knew, they all knew, that act would give Terry plenty of reasons to seek revenge against them. "I'm worried about that, too." He bit his lip as he appeared to think of what Terry might do. He then forced himself to smile a little. "But at least she wouldn't dare try anything soon. She's still a laughing stock and no one would take her seriously. Plus she has no one to help her. She only has herself and I doubt she would get lucky enough to get another piece of magic chalk, which is the only way into ChalkZone."

Snap nodded his head in agreement. He knew how serious the situation was, and he was concerned. At the same time, however, he knew that the odds were stacked in their favor, as it would be difficult for Terry to make another move. "Besides, Ms Bouffant wouldn't dare try to steal the magic chalk either. She wouldn't want that on her head as well."

"She could still try. She might wait until the right moment, and do what she can to get what she wanted without anyone noticing or leaving behind any clues." Rudy paused before he continued. He saw the look in Snap's eyes. He appeared to get the message quickly and he shook his head. "But you're right. It's too big of a risk."

"After what happened with the newstation," Penny said. "I don't think she would want to do anything else to screw herself over."

"Yeah..you're right." Rudy admitted, giving a small smile. Penny returned it.

As did Snap. He was glad that Rudy realized that Terry may not be able to do much. This didn't mean they would lower their guard. That would be foolish. She was more of a threat than Von was at the moment. She was determined to expose ChalkZone and they all knew she wouldn't give up until she succeeded.

But he also knew, as well as them, that they could not let their fears get the better of them. There were limits to what Terry could do. They simply needed to keep their guard up and watch out for any suspicious activity from her. And unlike Von, they had a better idea of what to do around Terry, to prevent her from finding her way into ChalkZone.

But there was one thing that worried them. One thing that could destroy their defenses and take them by surprise. It was something they all had discussed before, and dreaded.

_And what was if Vinnie got involved with her_...

By himself, Vinnie wasn't that much of a threat. He knew nothing of the magic chalk, and, unlike Terry, he hadn't hurt any of the zoners. At worse, he was just a mere nuisance. Yet, he was still a threat. Despite him not trying to harm any of the zoners, he still wanted to enslave them, which was just as bad. He wanted to take away their freedoms in order to amuse the public and make himself rich.

Him being combined with Terry would be a horrifying combination. Terry may be small time now, but she still had access to a newstation. This would allow Vinnie to get a leg up on spreading the word. In a very short amount of time, many people would know about ChalkZone and want a way in.

That would be a _nightmare_ that Snap wasn't sure if he or his friends could counter. Rudy and Penny had a hard enough time making sure Terry and Vinnie didn't get access into ChalkZone. But how would they deal with a ton of people harrassing them? What would their parents think when they find out? Would they force the truth out of them? The thought made Snap shudder.

Penny noticed the worried look on Snap's face. She took a step closer, her eyes locking onto his. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other, neither saying a word. Snap looked to his side and he saw that Rudy also looked at him worriedly. He looked back at Penny, waiting for her to speak.

"Is something wrong, Snap?" Penny asked.

"Yeah..." Rudy took a step forward. "You seem...troubled. Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Snap didn't hesitate to reply. "It's nothing that we already haven't discussed." He explained to them. "I was just thinking about..._that possible team up_..."

At this, Rudy and Penny furrowed their eyes with concern. Snap didn't need to elaborate for them to know exactly what he was talking about.

"We're worried about that, too, Snap. I mean, Vinnie might not know how to get into ChalkZone, but if Terry told him how and if they were to team up..." Rudy's voice trailed off. His eyes widened as the many possibilities surged through his head. "And he treated the zoners like they were his _property_..."

Snap recalled with bitterness that incident when Vinnie got into ChalkZone. He didn't hurt the zoners, but he did still act like he owned the place, and he treated the zoners like they were nothing more than amusement attractions to be used. If Biclops's eye vision was of any evidence, Vinnie had planned to keep him chained to a raft and take people down the Amazing River, likely for no pay either. Needless to say, he was glad that Vinnie didn't get very far with his plans.

"Yeah, but I don't think Terry is very likely to join up with him." Penny held up her hand in gesture. Rudy and Snap looked over at her. "I mean, Vinnie is kind of nuts. Terry would probably want someone smarter than him to work with. Someone she could trust to get the job done."

"That's true." Rudy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A small, amuse smile spread across his face. "Vinnie's barking would probably scare her away." This prompted a quick chuckle from everyone. When it died down, Rudy narrowed his eyes and said, "We still can't dismiss that possibility. Those two are the only humans in Plainsville that know about ChalkZone, and if they were to team up..."

The three fell silent. Images of what could be flooded their heads. Taking care of one creepazoid at a time was hard enough. But when there was more than one to deal with...

Snap shivered as he remembered what happened the last time they had to deal with two enemies at the same time. Not too long ago, Skrawl and Craniac 4 had joined forces to stop Rudy for good. They were going to destroy the Chalk Mine, and they very nearly succeeded. They almost had Rudy at their mercy, and the poor kid nearly died at one point when his robotic counterpart slammed him against the wall of the cave. It horrified the little zoner to think just how close they came to losing everything.

That was why they still needed to take a possible team up between Terry and Vinnie seriously. As the saying goes, two heads were better than one. Terry and Vinnie might be able to come up with a well thought out plan that they would not have been able to do on their own. And they were humans, which means, if they got into ChalkZone...

..._then they could use the magic chalk_..

Snap nearly fell out of the portal he was leaning against as that realization fully struck him. Rudy had a hard enough time getting rid of Reggie when he was taken over by the red chalk. What chance did Rudy have against two _adult_ creators? Who were using white chalk and likely would know that its magical properties wouldn't work in the Real World, thus making it difficult for him to use the same trick he used on Reggie agaisnt them?

At least the odds were still with them that Terry would never consider joining forces with Vinnie. It just seemed so unlikely. A possibility, sure, but still unlikely. Although Snap would prefer not to face either of them, he hoped that, in the event they do, they would be alone, and not with each other. One adult creator would be enough for them to worry about.

Just then, something interrupted them. A shout came from the lower level of the house, and they all instantly recognized who it was.

"_Rudy_!" Mrs. Tabootie called in her usual opera-styled voice. The three kids looked over towards the door. "Come on down! It's dinner time!"

"Dinner...?" Rudy whispered softly, perplexed. "Oh yeah... It has been a while..." He cleared his throat, looking back at the door. "Um...I'll be there in a little bit, mom!"

"Okay, but please hurry up! Your soup is going to get cold!"

"Time sure can fly, am I right, Bucko?" Snap commented as he realized it really had been quite some time. He hadn't even noticed how late it was getting. Originally they had only planned on being here for a short time to wrap things up, but it ended up being longer than that. "So...what time will you guys be in tomorrow?"

Rudy thought for a moment. "I'll try to stop by in the morning, if I wake up early enough."

"If you had an alarm clock, it could help." Penny pointed out.

Rudy stared at her. "I...don't do well with alarm clocks..."

"Why not?" Snap asked.

"I would rather not talk about it right now." Rudy got up to his feet, stretching his legs. He looked back towards the door, biting his lip. "Well I better get going before my mom calls again." He looked over his shoulder, back at them. "The last thing we need is for her to walk in and I would have to explain my dimensional friend leaning on a warp hole over there." He gestured towards Snap.

Snap grabbed onto the edges with his hands, leaning closer. "Yeah..I don't think there's any way we could cover this up. So have a..." He leaned in too far and he ended up falling out of the portal. He landed with a loud thud and a cry of pain on the ground. "_Ow_..." He rubbed his head.

"Rudy, dear? Are you okay...?" Came his mom's tentative voice.

"Oh no...she must have heard that.." Rudy whispered, his eyes widened.

Snap and Penny looked on in shock at this. Snap felt a wave of guilt strike him. He should have been more careful. He should have tried to be quieter. Now because of him, Mrs. Tabootie was coming up the steps fast. They could hear her footsteps getting closer. It wouldn't take her long to reach the room.

Rudy cast a glance to his friends. "You two! Get back into ChalkZone!"

"But, Rudy..." Penny started to say.

As if reading her mind, Rudy reached into his pocket and tossed her his piece of magic chalk. Penny caught it. "Head back to your place via ChalkZone. I'll talk to you two tomorrow, okay?"

Snap and Penny nodded. As Rudy rushed out of the room to stop his mother from coming in, Penny climbed in through the portal. Snap helped her balance on the narrow steps drawn to reach up there. The girl turned herself around and used Rudy's eraser to get rid of the portal.

Penny pulled her hand back after releasing the eraser in the Real World. She grabbed her wrist and wriggled her fingers as she inspected it, as if she thought she injured it. "Now I know what Rudy felt like when he said he didn't know if his hand was going to make it back with him."

Snap recalled that statement, though vaguely. If he remembered right, that was from when Penny first started thinking of navigating ChalkZone to get to Real World places. A tactic they had since more or less perfected.

"Well you were working pretty fast there." Snap noted as he and Penny descended the steps slowly. "But it wasn't like you had a choice. Rudy's mom could have come in and..." He looked all around. "How could we cover _this_ up?"

"Exactly. It was a good thing that we were right by the portal when it happened. Easier for us to make our getaway." Penny thrust her hand around a little. "Still not a comfortable feeling nearly losing your hand... If Rudy and I aren't careful, we could easily slice our wrists off..."

"_Yeowch_..." Snap winced. The thought of that haunted him for several seconds. He got a very vivid picture of that in his head. "Maybe we need a better method to erase the portals?"

"It would be easier doing it inside of ChalkZone.." Penny gestured with her hand. "But I don't think that is such a good idea." She pressed her hand on her chin. "We would need something that would erase the portals but was safe enough to keep in ChalkZone."

Snap flinched. "That's..uh...going to be pretty hard, considering everything in here is made of chalk." He slapped a hand against his chest. "_Including me_!"

"I know, Snap." Penny nodded her head once. "So for now, that's the best we can do. It would be too dangerous to bring an eraser of all things into ChalkZone. That's as bad as Real World water..." She visibly shivered at that. "I still remember _what happened to Howdy_..."

Snap's eyes bulged at that. He felt his heart nearly turn into ice. He had pushed that horrible memory into the back of his head. Penny's reminder caused the memories to flood back to him. The cold icy feeling filled him up, moving along his arms and legs, making it hard for him to walk.

That day was such an awful day, and it started out so good, too. Rudy had drawn a living puppet, Howdy, to entertain the folks at the talent show and to outcompete Reggie. However, the bully had released his dog, Dumpster, and the canine had chased Howdy through the school. Of course, Dumpster was a sweetheart and didn't harm Howdy...that is, until Howdy tried to get back into ChalkZone...

Snap shivered at the memory of that dog licking Howdy to death. He was erased slowly right in front of them. His screams still echoed in his ears, as did those desperate words he spoke as he tried to make sense of what was going on. The dog didn't stop...just kept licking...until Howdy gave a pained shiver and collapsed. Then he was no more.

Well until he and his friends realized that since he was created in ChalkZone, he had one free erase. So all he did was reappear in ChalkZone. Still, the incident was burned into his retina, serving as a reminder of just how painful and horrifying being erased was. Understandably, Howdy never wanted to set foot back into the Real World again.

"Yeah..." Snap said in agreement, finally finding his voice. "But..at least he is fine now." He smiled the best he could as he continued to walk alongside Penny. "He's found his place here and he's having a good time. That big mutt isn't going to come and drool all over him again."

Penny smiled at this, comforted by this fact. Unless the dog finds a way into ChalkZone, it was unlikely that Howdy was going to meet a similiar fate. "I'm glad everything worked out for him."

Snap nodded his head in agreement. He was about to speak up again when he noticed that they had already reached where Penny lived. He stopped walking and gazed at Penny as she moved out in front of him. She got out the magic chalk and began to draw a set of steps to reach a high enough level so she could draw a portal.

She was soon at the height that she needed. She got out her magic chalk again and draw a portal, opening a gateway into her bedroom in the Real World. She started to climb out. As she had one leg in, her hands gripping the edge of the portal, she looked over at Snap.

"We'll see you tomorrow sometime, okay?" She said.

Snap nodded. "Okay then." He waved at his friend. "Goodbye, Buckette!"

"Goodbye, Snap!" Penny called back. She erased the portal, leaving Snap alone.

sss

Von glared softly at the boy's device, which he had set in front of him. He had went back up to his initial room from before, where he had done past experiments. There was still a bit of a burning smell from his disastrous attempt, which had exploded and nearly caught the room on fire. He shivered at the memory, but soon focused himself again as he stared at the object.

Luckily, this time, nothing exploded. There was no mishap, no nothing. But..that was just it. There was...nothing. Absolutely nada. The little machine did not yield anything to him. No hidden secrets. Just things he had already known.

The machine was taken apart. He had taken a screw driver and carefully undid all of the screws that held it in place. Once they were removed, he placed the screws down and pulled the plates apart, exposing the interior. He was able to see all the wheels that would turn, the gears that would grind, everything. He even saw the wiring and such that was powered by the plug. He had studied the infernal contraption for a long time, trying to understand what secrets the boy could have used.

He went over it carefully, looking at every possible detail. He worked images in his calculating brain, mentally rearranging everything to see how it could work. He tried to figure out what parts could be changed that would allow for perpetual motion. He tried to think of any additional things that could help with that. He tried as hard as he could to figure this thing out.

But nothing worked. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how long he thought about it, it just wouldn't work. Frustration filled his every pore, and he did his best not to slam his fist in frustration. He didn't want to break more things like he had earlier. This worthless device might be of some use to him still. If he could only figure out how it could function without a noticeable power source...

And if only that little brat was more cooperative. It was his fault that he was in this situation. He was the one who created that beautiful device yet stole it away from him. He was the one who humiliated him in front of the scientists. If he had been more _helpful_ and far less _greedy_, then everything would have worked out so much better. It was all Rudy's fault that this was happening to him. If he weren't so focused on this, he would..

...no. He shook his head. He reminded himself of what kind of trouble he'd get into if he went after Rudy. He could not force the boy to speak. Even if he tried to pretend to be someone else, it still would not work. The boy was quite adamant in saying that he discovered perpetual motion by accident and therefore, could not replicate it.

Von knew the boy was lying. There was no way he could have figured this out on his own. He had to have had some idea of what he was doing. Perhaps he had some help, too. He remembered there was a little girl there with him. That Penny Sanchez girl. Maybe she played a part in all of this?

His eyes widened in realization. Yes...that had to be it. The little girl was in on this the whole time. She had helped Rudy figure out perpetual motion. She had helped him mastermind his humiliation. She had helped him escape his room so he could steal back the machine.

His mind reeled at this realization. Of course..why didn't he see it before? He should have realized that Penny was Rudy's partner in crime. He should have realized that Rudy couldn't have figured this out on his own. He had help. He had a partner in crime.

_And he had ignored her_...

Well no more. He would not dismiss that little girl brat anymore. He will not allow her to get a leg up on him again. She, nor Rudy, would ever make a fool out of him again. He was Doctor Von Doktor, after all. Nobody makes a fool out of him more than once. _Nobody_...

He knew what he had to do. He knew that he could no longer go to just Rudy for information. The boy may not have been the proper target after all. If he truly did have help, and he was starting to believe he did, then he wasn't the one who masterminded the perpetual motion. He helped, sure, and much of the machine may have been of his design, but it was that _girl_ who pulled the strings. _She_ was the one who applied the right stuff in order to make it work.

So in order to understand how they got perpetual motion, it was not Rudy he needed to talk to. It was Penny. She was the one he needed to interrogate. He would need to go to her, preferrably when she was away from her mother, and talk to her, get her to spill the beans.

He froze. How was he going to do that? It was quite unlikely that Penny would be alone for long. Her mother worked at home from what he recalled. So he would almost never find a time when she was gone, unless he was lucky enough to catch her shopping or something. And he guessed that Penny would usually be at home, at Rudy's, or at school, and neither of them would serve as a good place to talk to her.

He folded his arms against his chest, narrowing his eyes as he tried to figure out what he could do. There had to be a way to achieve what he wanted. There had to be something he could do to get to Penny without running the risk of getting arrested. He wasn't very well going to resort to kidnapping. Penny could tell of what happened.

No, he needed to get her alone, somehow. He needed to find her in a spot where she was the only one there. He could approach her then, talk to her, and then leave. She couldn't cry foul if he didn't technically hurt her or drag her anywhere. And he wouldn't threaten her either. He would just try to enjoy a nice _friendly_ chat with her.

But first, he would need to figure out where she goes. He needed a nice, quiet, safe way to do it. He initially thought about following her, but that would be too obvious. He could get himself arrested for stalking. He needed something else. Something that would be harder to detect. Something that he could easily take care of after he got what he wanted.

His eyes brightened. He knew what he could do. And it would be so easy to pull off, too. With his brilliant mind and years of experience, he knew of a way to get what he wanted, and there would be no way the two little brats could figure it out.

But before he could do it, he was going to need a bit of time preparing. He had to do a run through of his inventory to see if he had the parts required to succeed. Then he would need to devise a plan on how to complete the mission without being noticed. Something that he could do in broad daylight and no one would be the wiser.

He turned his attention over to one of his cabinets. Unlike the other one, this one was stuffed with all kinds of devices and parts. He looked at it only for a moment before a smile spread across his face. There was no doubt about it. He had what he needed. Now he just needed to get the parts out and start to build it. Something custom, that he could control remotely. He'd be hard pressed it get an already manufactured one without people looking at him strangely, but if he built one himself... Yes, no one would easily suspect him.

He walked towards the cabinet. He opened it up, spreading out the doors, revealing its contents. He smiled as his eyes moved up and down, examining what he had available. He reached over to grab the materials he needed. Before he could grab anything, however, he froze. A sudden thought crossed his mind.

Would it be better if he tried to get help with this? After all, the boy got some help with his machine and accomplished greatness. Two minds were better than one. The boy had his little girlfriend to help him out. Perhaps he should take a page from him and find a partner.

But...who would he be able to find who'd want to help him? Who would want to join him for anything? His reputation was a mess. Most people wouldn't want anything to do with him, lest they get dragged down as well. No one who still respected themselves would want to risk working with him. And with what he needed to do, they would likely have him arrested on the spot.

He needed someone who would have reason to want to help him. Someone who would have no qualms with going...a risky path. Someone who had a low reputation themselves. And perhaps, someone who had also been wronged by those two kids, giving them more motivation to want to help him.

His eyes twinkled. There was one person who fit that bill that he knew of. One person who might be willing to help them, who had been humiliated, just like he had. Someone who would have no reason to help the two children.

Terry Bouffant. Yes...she was the one.

He frowned. But would that be a good idea? He hardly knew the woman. For all he knew, she could play him for a sap until the time came, and then leave him high and dry. And she did obsess over that chalk world... Perhaps he should rethink recruiting her.

He turned his attention back to the cabinet. He narrowed his eyes. He had some work to get done. If he hurried, he could lay the foundation of the plan before too much time passed.

sss

It didn't take Rudy long to finish up his dinner. The soup his mother made was quite good. Better than the previous ones she made. Not that she was a bad cook or anything. She just happened to outdo herself this time around.

Now that he was finished, he could head back up the steps and into his bedroom. He thought about going back into ChalkZone. He knew Snap would be surprised to see him as he said he wouldn't be back in until tomorrow morning. It would be nice to go in and talk to his friend more before he headed off to bed.

He soon decided against it. He was going to be in ChalkZone tomorrow morning, or at least, he'd try. An idea he had was to go to bed much earlier so he'd wake up earlier. His parents would be surprised if he went to bed early, but it was doubtful they would suspect anything suspicious. Even if they did, they wouldn't connect it to some strange, alternate universe.

He didn't want to waste anymore time. The sooner he got to bed, the sooner he would wake up. He could get a bit of extra time to talk to Snap before he had to go to school. Putting his spoon down, he slowly rose up from his seat.

"Where are you going?" He heard his dad say.

"To bed." Rudy said. His parents looked at him in confusion. Rudy smiled at them. "I decided to head to bed a couple hours earlier tonight."

His mom and dad exchanged nervous looks. They didn't seem to understand this decision, which is what he had expected. It was such a strange act, he wouldn't be surprised if they thought he was sick. So he decided to put their minds at ease.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Rudy waved his hand out in front of him. "I just want to get some extra sleep tonight."

Biting his lip, his father said, "Is there..some kind of test or something?"

Rudy froze for a moment. He tried to think of how to answer that. On the one hand, he knew that his parents could just talk to Mr. Wilter and find out he was lying. Then his parents would get suspicious and they would keep talking to him until he would tell them what was really going on. But on the other hand, this did provide an easy lie for him to mold. Something that he could tell his parents that would be believable.

He took it.

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah. We have a big quiz tomorrow and I wanted to have a good night's rest so I don't...you know...mess up...?" He rubbed his hands together as he struggled to find the words to say. "I just...want to do good...on this test, you know...?"

His parents remained silent for a few seconds. They looked at each other. Their expressions told Rudy everything. He felt his heart twist as he bit his lip. It seemed his plan had backfired, and how his parents were going to ask him more in depth questions.

But when his mother spoke, it wasn't the response that he had expected. In fact, it was something...completely out of the blue.

"Well, we'll make sure to tell your aunt then...just in case she might be wondering why you're up so early." His mother said.

Rudy took a step back at this, giving his mom a shocked look. "What...?" He noticed his parents glancing at each other again and back at him. Their looks told him that there was something he should know, and yet he did not. He licked his lips nervously. "What's going on...? Why would Aunt Tilly need to know...?"

His mother looked over at his father. "I thought you were going to tell him!"

His dad shot a soft glare at his wife. "I thought you told him!"

His mother placed her palm against her face and shook her head. She looked as if she was ready to continue arguing, but she shrugged it off. She looked over at Rudy, their eyes locking onto each other. "Your father and I are going on a trip, Rudy."

"A business one!" His dad interjected, raising a finger towards the air. "We cannot afford to miss it!"

Rudy looked at his dad, and then at his mom. She nodded her head, confirming it. "Your father is going to a meeting down in Florida."

Rudy scratched his head. "But...you don't work with him. Why do you have to go, too?"

His mom frowned at her husband. "Because it would seem your father registered me _without asking me first_."

His dad shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you would have wanted to come."

"Hmph." His mother folded her arms, giving her husband a sideways glare. "You still should have asked first, dear." She looked back down at Rudy. "Anyway, we will be gone for a couple of days. I called my sister, your Aunt Tilly, and she has agreed to watch you while we're gone."

Rudy felt his legs wobble at this. Some strength had left him so fast, it wasn't even funny. It took all his willpower to remain standing up. He looked down at the ground as his mind tried to process this new information. This...this changed everything.

When he and his friends made plans, they did not take into account any other family members other than his parents. He was not aware that his parents were going to be away for a few days. He had no idea that his aunt was coming over. He hadn't taken her into account. How could he have? He and his friends didn't know anything about this until now.

A bit of anger gripped him. He couldn't believe that his parents didn't say a word about this, or give any clue. Judging from his parents' reactions, this was not a last minute thing. They may have had this planned for days, weeks maybe. And this whole time, they _never_ said a word to him.

But what was upsetting him the most is that, since Aunt Tilly was coming over, he knew what this was going to mean.

His cousin, Sophie, was going to come as well.

Just great. Just perfect. That was exactly what they needed. An unknown and wild factor to come into play. It wasn't that he hated his cousin. He loved her very much. But, being two year old, she was prone to getting herself into places she shouldn't be. She was such a curious little girl that she would rummage through whatever she could.

This meant that there was a very real chance that she could end up in ChalkZone. His mind chilled when he remembered the last time she had gotten into ChalkZone. She had nearly gotten herself hurt. He still felt guilty about that incident, and he had strived to never let it happen again.

Now it seemed his luck just might have run out. It was one thing to keep her busy for a few hours. But a couple of days? That would prove to be a difficult task. When his parents went on their honeymoon, he had to bar himself out of ChalkZone entirely. This time, due to the possible threat of Von, not to mention Terry, that may not be an option again.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you sooner, dear." His mom's voice cut him out of his thoughts. "I guess this is such short notice for you, huh..?"

Rudy numbly nodded his head. He didn't bother looking at his parents in the eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Rudy. We won't be gone long." His dad touched his shoulder. Rudy didn't budge. "You'll have a great time with your aunt and cousin."

"And we promise..next time, we'll give you a more advanced warning." His mother said. There was a slight accusing tone, and he knew that was directed at his father. "We love you, Rudy."

Rudy didn't answer right away. He felt his parents hugging him. He didn't look at their faces. He guessed that they were holding expressions of regret. Never before had they done something like this and only tell him at the last minute. Even on their honeymoon, Rudy had at least known about it for a while, only assuming he was going with.

"I...I understand..." Rudy finally said. His voice was quiet and unenthusiastic. "I...love you too..."

Rudy could not rest. He could not get his mind to relax. He definitely needed to get into ChalkZone tonight. He needed to tell Snap of the new situation that has developed. Sophie was coming over. He had no idea if his cousin remembered ChalkZone or not, but he knew one thing.

He had to increase security around the chalkboard and his magic chalk to ensure she didn't get into ChalkZone again.


	5. Visits

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 5: Visits

_**The things people can hide behind a most modest handshake.**_

sss

The next day, Rudy helped his parents carry the luggage to their car. He didn't make a big deal of them leaving like he did for their honeymoon. He felt pretty stupid looking back on that. It had been their special day and he had only thought of himself. This time, he won't make that mistake. He was still upset that they waited so long to tell him, but oh well. Not much can be done about that at the moment.

It didn't take too long to carry in the smaller luggage to the car for them. He didn't dare try anything too heavy. He didn't want to pull a muscle or anything. That would be quite awful if that happened, especially if it was to his right arm. He felt a cold shudder when he remembered the incident with Jacko.

He shook that out of his mind quickly so he could focus on getting the luggage in. He was carrying the last one, using his arms and hands to steady it to his chest. He wobbled a little, but for the most part, this piece of luggage was easy to carry. He went over to the open door where he could see his mother waiting. As soon as he got close enough, the large woman grabbed onto it and placed it in the car.

"Thank you, Rudy." His mom said as she placed the luggage in the car. She shut the door and gently patted him on the head. "We'll be back before you know it."

Rudy just smiled at his mom. His previous anger at them waiting so long was gone. He couldn't stay mad at his parents for long. They were his parents, after all. He couldn't blame them for making one mistake, and they did promise to not do it again.

Out of the peripheral vision of his eye, he could see some faint color and movement. He lifted up his head and he could see it was his father. The skrawny man had went around to the other side of the car. He opened up the door and climbed into the driver's seat.

"_Come on_, Millie! We don't have much time!" His dad cried, a sense of urgency in his voice. "The plane will take off without us if we're late!"

"We have plenty of time!" His mother called back. She paused for a moment. "But you're right. Better we are early than late." She looked down at Rudy. She pulled him into a hug. "Now you be a good boy and listen to Aunt Tilly while we are gone, okay?"

"I will. Don't worry." Rudy hugged his mother. After a few seconds, he let go and took a few steps back.

Standing next to him was his aunt. She was holding onto Sophie, cradling the little girl in her arms. As usual, Sophie looked really happy to see him. She was reaching out towards him with her hands and called out his name over and over.

After a few moments of trying to control the struggling girl, Aunt Tilly turned herself around and handed the small child to Rudy. The young boy was surprised by this, but he still took Sophie into his arms. Sophie wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug, especially for someone her size. Rudy held his cousin against himself as she looked up at his mother and aunt as they conversed.

"Are you sure you have everything? The schedule? Enough clothes to last you a few days?" His mother had her palm facing up, pressing a finger against each digit as she listed off everything that she could think of. "It's all good?"

"Oh don't worry about it! Everything will be fine! I did this before, remember?" Aunt Tilly reassured his mother.

"You are _absolutely_ sure?" His mother had a worried tone to her voice.

"Now, now, Millie. Your sister has everything under control." His dad called out from the care. "Now come along!" He motioned with his hand. "We are going to be late if we don't get a move on!"

"Your husband is right. I've got everything under control." Aunt Tilly put her hand around Rudy and pulled him close. Rudy rested his head against her side as he felt her rub his shoulders gently. "Now you two have fun on your little trip!"

His mother frowned at this. "Well I don't know if being dragged to this business meeting is fun..." She shook her head and smiled back at her sister. "But I'll try to make the most of it. Take care, everyone!"

"Bye!" Rudy and his aunt cried in unison.

His mother smiled at this, and then she went over to the car. She opened up the passenger's door and climbed in, the door shutting immediately behind her. The smoke from the engine began to pillow out as the car was pulled back out of the drive way. Rudy and his aunt waved to them as they moved out onto the street. Then, seconds later, the vehicle sped forward, and his parents were out of sight.

Rudy watched them as they left. He hoped they would have a good time in Florida. Even though it was a business trip, he'd feel it would be a pretty wasted trip if they didn't enjoy themselves somehow.

"Now, let's go on inside, okay?"

Rudy felt his aunt gently push him to turn him around and began to guide him back to the house. Her hand was still on his shoulder, refusing to let go of him. Rudy didn't try to jerk free despite the fact that he felt slightly undignified to have his aunt guide him back in the house.

It didn't take them long to get back inside the house. His aunt let go of him as soon as they were in through the doors. He watched as she walked out in front of him and made her way into the kitchen. She began to rummage through the cupboards to see what they had available. Rudy looked down at Sophie and gently set her down. With a squeal, the little girl ran away from him, likely to wherever her toys were being kept.

"Hey, Rudy?" His aunt called out.

Rudy immediately walked into the kitchen. He could see his aunt was holding a couple boxes of what appeared to be noodles. She was looking at each one, her face furrowed a bit. "Yes, Aunt Tilly?"

The woman turned to him. "Which noodles would you like me to use?" She held the boxes up so he could see them. "I'm going to make some chicken alfredo for dinner later today."

"Why ask me now?" Rudy was confused. "It's pretty early to be asking me that if this is for dinner."

"Might as well ask now before you have to leave for school." Aunt Tilly took a few steps towards him. She held the boxes even closer and she repeated her question, her voice a tad more firm this time. "Which one would you like?"

Rudy looked from one box to the other. One of them were ring noodles with little patterns in them. The other was the usual fettucini noodles often used in alfredo. Rudy was never all that fond of them, so he pointed to the ring noddles instead. "I'd like this one."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Aunt Tilly turned and walked back towards the cabinet. She placed the boxes back in and then headed towards the freezer. "I'm going to thaw out some chicken now so it's ready for later." She gave a smile to Rudy. "That way, when you get home, the alfredo should already be done."

Rudy nodded his head to show that he understood what his aunt said. He then turned his head to where the steps were. He looked back at his aunt and said, "I'm going upstairs to get ready."

"Okay then! Make sure to let me know when you're leaving! And say goodbye to Sophie, too! She gets a little antsy when you disappear without telling her." His aunt said.

"Don't worry. I will!" Rudy said as he began to make his way up the steps.

As he ascended the staircase, he started to think about what he was going to do. He still had time to visit Snap. He was already in ChalkZone late last night. He had gone in to speak to Snap. He had told him of the new situation, with Sophie now being in the house. He wasn't able to stay long as he wanted to try to wake up early. So all he was able to do was lay the run down with Snap. The zoner agreed that he was going to need to be more careful when entering ChalkZone for the next few days. Rudy hoped that things won't get too rough.

He did have some extra time to talk to Snap and Penny this morning. Not just because he woke up early, or that his folks left quite early in the morning, not long after he woke up, but also because there was a two hour delay at school today. Something about a power outage. That gave him a lot more time to talk to his friends.

He just hoped that he would be able to get into ChalkZone _without_ too much trouble. With Sophie around, she could easily climb in through the portal. He could just erase it and it would be fine. But then if the girl noticed he was gone, she might run around the house, calling out for him. Then his aunt would realize something was wrong and... He had to be careful not to let the situation escalate like that.

It didn't take him too long to reach the top of the stairs. He glanced back down to see if his aunt was going to try calling his name again for anything. When she was silent, he moved towards his room. The fact that it was opened up did not concern him; he didn't always shut the door.

But it was a different story when he walked into the room.

"Soph..?!" Rudy cried in surprise.

To his surprise, Sophie hadn't stayed downstairs like he thought. She had gone up here into his bedroom. He was shocked. She was not the quietest girl around and he should have heard her climbing up here. Yet he didn't. Was he really that focused on his aunt that he didn't pay attention to the pitter patter of a small, excited child going up to his room?

Sophie was standing in front of the large chalkboard. She had a piece of chalk in her small hand. He tensed up, a cold wave rushing through his body. He soon breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was just a regular piece of chalk that she had. She pressed it against the chalkboard and started to scribble on it.

"Hey, what are you drawing there?" Rudy asked as he approached her slowly. Sophie just giggled and continued to draw squiggly lines all over the place. "Another masterpiece, I presume?"

Sophie just giggled at her cousin. She gave him a big, wide grin before turning back to the chalkboard. The familiar squeak of the chalk against the black surface filled Rudy's ears as the little girl made a few quick jerks of her arm. He covered one of his ears, flinching at the uncomfortable sound. He watched as the little girl made a series of multiple squiggles, creating no discernable pattern.

When she was done, she lowered her chalk at her side and looked up at Rudy expectantly. Knowing what she wanted, Rudy leaned forward and examined her handiwork. It was nothing more outstanding than what she usually did. Just a series of scribbles. He refrained himself from stating the obvious and just smiled back at her.

"That looks great, Sophie!" Rudy patted his cousin on the head. "You're a natural little artist, aren't you?"

Sophie giggled and spread her arms out. "Rudy! Rudy!" She squealed.

Rudy smiled at this. A part of him couldn't believe that he let himself get jealous over the attention Sophie's little scribbles got her. She might not be much of an artist yet, but she loved to draw just as much as him. In the future, if she kept it up, she would get much better.

"Watch! Draw more!" Sophie called out as she took the eraser and wiped the chalkboard clean. Rudy chuckled as he imagined Snap being rained on by random scribbles. "I draw more!"

As much as Rudy would have loved to see more of his cousin's cute little art, he knew he didn't have time for that. He wanted to talk to Snap and Penny as soon as possible. He didn't know when Penny was going to arrive in ChalkZone, but he knew Snap was waiting for him. He didn't want to keep his friend waiting for long.

"Hey Soph? I'd love to see more of your pictures, but I...I need to get ready for school, and I can't have you in here." Rudy said. He walked over to his cousin and grabbed onto her. He positioned her towards the door and then began to push her lightly towards it. "So why don't you head downstairs and..."

"No! Draw!" Sophie slipped away from Rudy, causing him to nearly trip over his own feet. She rushed back to the chalkboard and smacked her hand against the dark surface. "_Draw_!"

Rudy looked over at his cousin. "Don't you want to draw downstairs? I have a nice notebook down there and a pen you can use."

Sophie shook her head. "No! Draw here! Chalk!"

Rudy tried again. "Please Sophie. I need to get ready and I'd rather you not be in here. Since we're...you know...not the same gender..?" Sophie still refused to move, shaking her head furiously. "Come on, Sophie..." He held up his hands in desperation. "Twenty minutes. That's all I'm asking for. Twenty minutes. Can't you wait that long?"

Sophie moved her head from side to side rapidly. "No no no!" She turned her attention back to the chalkboard and began to draw again.

Rudy slapped himself in his forehead as he looked on. He let out a deep sigh of frustration. This was going to be harder than he thought. He needed a way to get his cousin out of the room so he could speak to Snap. Sophie was not going ton another ChalkZone adventure if he had anything to say about it.

There had to be someway to get his cousin to leave. There had to be something he could do to get her out of the room for a short time. He hoped he could figure something out soon. The longer he waited, the less time he was going to have to speak to Snap on the issue. A part of him wished Penny was here. She might be able to get the little girl out of the room and entertain her for a little while as he spoke with Snap. But that would leave the problem of getting Penny into ChalkZone without Sophie following her.

He hoped Penny was having an easier time getting into ChalkZone than he was at the moment. Considering her mom wasn't going on some trip and Penny didn't have a little cousin to worry about, he couldn't imagine her having that much difficulty. He was almost jealous.

sss

Penny rushed back and forth, trying to get ready as quickly as she could. She couldn't believe that she had overslept. She must have forgotten to set her alarm last night. Of all the days... She just hoped that she wouldn't be keeping Rudy waiting for long. He was probably in ChalkZone now, chatting with Snap, waiting for her. She would feel so horrible if she kept them waiting for too long.

She quickly changed her pants and she pulled a shirt over her head. She had to pull on it a little tighter as it had gotten caught. She winced as the cloth scraped against her skin for a moment, and then she straightened her shirt out against her chest. She propped on her shoes, tying them, and then headed towards the chalkboard. She pulled out her magic chalk, preparing to create a portal.

She froze when she heard her mom calling out to her. "Penita! Aren't you hungry?"

Penny flinched at this. She had forgotten to eat breakfast. She hadn't even left her room yet. She was too busy trying to get ready to see Rudy and Snap. She realized she couldn't leave. Not yet. Otherwise, her mom was going to get suspicious.

Sucking on her lip, Penny's mind raced as she tried to think of a response. "I...I'll be down in a bit!"

"Okay, but don't wait too long!" She heard her mother shout. "Just because you have a two hour delay doesn't mean you can diddle dally!"

"I know! I'll be done! I promise!" Penny called back.

She recalled her mother telling her about the two hour delay. That was actually how she was woken up. Her mom came in and shook her awake. She told her that she was lucky that she had a two hour delay, otherwise she was going to be late for school. Penny had been horrified when she realized her mom was right, and she immediately jolted out of bed.

She was indeed lucky. Extremely lucky, that there was a delay. Not that much was going to happen from her being late other than getting a note from Mr. Wilter. But she would have gotten in trouble from her mom, as she did usually help with the morning chores, and she would have felt awful if she kept her friends waiting for too long.

Well at least she was up now. She could now make up for it by getting into ChalkZone as soon as possible. There was still time left. If she hurried, she could get to where her friends where and they could have at least half an hour to speak. Granted, that wasn't much, but it was at least far better than nothing. She wondered if they would have any better luck. She recalled they did decide it was better to wait and see if Von becomes a threat, but now there was a new issue regarding Terry. A short meeting would be better than to not meet at all in that case.

Penny was still a little shaken up from the sudden run-in with Terry. She could practically feel that vile woman's hatred radiating off her body. It was easy to joke about her when she was out of sight, but when she was right up there with them... Penny had felt her heart turn to ice, pounding against her chest. Despite the fact that she knew Terry could not do anything to them out in the open, it was still terrifying to be that close to her.

Terry had every reason to hate them. They, well mostly Rudy, had humiliated her on television. She had been mocked and ridiculed ever since she had tried to expose ChalkZone. She had motivation and interest to trying to get even with them, to get back at them. The only thing holding her back was the justice system.

Penny had no idea how far Terry would go. She had no idea what to expect from her. For now, she hoped that they wouldn't have another run-in like that. Same with Vinnie. These were two adults she hoped they never have to see again.

To everyone else, they might just be jokes. But they were still very real threats to her and Rudy, and to ChalkZone. They both have the ability to tear down ChalkZone's defense, and end the long-lived peace that world had. Unlike a situation with Skrawl, if Vinnie or Terry succeeded in exposing that world, it was all over. Even if she and Rudy could find out a way to ensure that they don't get any magic chalk, they would be harrassed by other people, maybe even their own parents, and they'd try to force them to give them a way into ChalkZone. Or the scientists could devise a way to get in without need of the magic chalk, a thought that chilled her blood.

Her mind froze at the thought of scientists. She almost forgot; there was someone else who could become a potential threat. She wondered what Von was doing right now. She hoped that he was leaving Rudy alone. She hoped that Rudy's parents had called the authorities to ensure Von doesn't bother them again.

Penny hated the way the man spoke, not just to Rudy, but in general. He clearly wanted something. Information on perpetual motion. Rudy had done what he could to convince him it was an accident, but this was a scientist they were talking about. He wouldn't be able to easily trick him. He could see right through whatever she and Rudy try to tell him. Dealing with him was going to be a lot harder.

But she tried her best to remain confident. Perhaps things would turn out the way they wanted them to. Maybe everything would be all right. Von couldn't really go through with any threat against them, not unless he wanted to be arrested. And far as she knew, he still knew of no chalk world.

Yeah, everything was fine. She had to relax. They already had eyes and ears on Von. They had already agreed to discuss about him if he ever made another move. They would not allow Von to so much as sneeze without them knowing.

Penny decided she had wasted enough time. Picking up her magic chalk again, knowing that her mom was going to get suspicious of she took too long, she began to draw a portal on her chalkboard. The light shined brightly as the circle was slowly being formed. As she drew, she hoped that Rudy and Snap wouldn't be too upset with her taking so long.

"_What are you doing here_?!"

Penny nearly dropped her magic chalk at this exclaimation. She whipped her head around, staring at where her door was. She felt her heart increasing its beating. She stared at the door long and hard, her breathing becoming shaky. Just what was going on?

"_Get out of here now_!"

Penny's eyes widened. That was her mother. She sounded...well not distressed, but really angry. Who was she yelling at? Why didn't she hear the doorbell ringing? Who had come over to visit them at this time? And why did her mother sound so angry at them? Was it just another door to door salesman or was it someone else?

Penny sucked on her lip, licking it nervously. She took in a few slow breaths to try to slow down her breathing. Now wasn't the time to get panicky. She looked back at the chalkboard and used her eraser to destroy the small bit that had been drawn. She then turned her attention to the door.

Slowly, she began to make her way towards it. She took her time, each step causing her heart to twist. She could still feel her heart pounding a little, a sense of dread still clinging onto her no matter how hard she tried to dismiss it. She had no idea what to expect when she opened up the door and called out to her mom. Although every rational part of her body was telling her there was no real danger, there was still a part of her that remained terrified.

Soon she reached the door. She hesitated, taking in a couple quick breaths. She then managed to recompose herself, exhaling slowly. It was probably just some annoying salesman like she thought, or something else mundane. Nothing to get upset over. She opened up the door and stepped out.

She walked down the upper hallway. She locked her eyes onto the railing, where the stairs were. She approached them slowly and quietly. She listened intently to what was being said, hoping to figure out what was going on without giving herself away.

"I want you to get out of here! Get out of my sight!" Her mother called out. Penny could see a shadow on the wall, and could tell her mother was pointing at someone. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but...!"

"Wait! Pleaze, let me explain! It'z not what you zink!" A familiar voice responded. Penny froze, realizing instantly who it was. "I juzt wish to.."

"No! You're not coming anywhere near my daughter! I know what you did with Rudy! I'm not letting you do the same thing to Penny!" Her mom scolded him, her voice deepeningi n anger.

Penny nearly wobbled forward when she realized that _Von was in her house_. She did her best to control her breathing, trying whatever she could to not panic. She stared down the steps, looking at the shadows as the two adults argued. A cold feeling swept through her body as the full realization of what was going on struck her like a freight train.

Von was back, and this time, he was coming after her. She couldn't help but shiver at the thought. What...what made the doctor come after her this time? Had he realized that she was involved with what happened to his precious machine? Did he realize that she had been a helping hand to Rudy this whole time? Why else would he stop by and try to see her? He hadn't made a hint before that he wanted to get to her, so this meeting was out of the blue. Something happened to change his mind. But what?

At the moment, Penny found it hard to concentrate on that. Her mind wouldn't stop reeling as uncomfortable thoughts shifted through her head. Just what did Von want her for? Was he going to try to interrogate her? Was he going to try to get her to spill the beans on perpetual motion?

Penny kept listening in on the conversation. Her mother got increasingly angry at Von's persistance. She was almost surprised that her mom didn't attempt to push him out of the house. On the other hand, Von was quite adamant and didn't give up very easily. His pleas with his mother became more and more desperate. All she could really make out was he wanted to speak to her, yet he never stated why. His mom would always cut him off, and try to get him to leave.

Penny was glad that her mother wasn't falling for anything Von was saying. Rudy's parents likely told her mom about what happened when Von paid them a rather _pleasant_ visit earlier. Her mom was not going to take any of his crap.

But unfortunately, neither was Von.

"Look, I underztand your anger, mizz." Von said. "I am not alwayz a...likeable guy I admit. But I will not have you turning me away that eazily. I came here to do one thing, and I intend on..."

Penny winced as she heard a thud. Her mother must have pushed Von back. She heard the man's feet clamoring to keep his balance. Penny could hear him call out, "_No! Wait! Pleaze_! All I want to do iz..."

Penny cringed, lowering her head, when she saw her mother coming into view. She had a grip on Von. She wasn't being particularly rough with him, but she was still pushing him back towards the door. Von struggled against her grasp, trying to make her leg go. She noticed that he was holding back. He knew that if he were too aggressive, he could get himself arrested.

Her mother kept moving the man closer to the door. It wasn't until he was right in front of him that she released him. The man kept trying to plead with her, make her let him stay so he could do...whatever it is he came here to do. But thankfully, her mother was having none of it. She pointed a finger at the door behind him.

"Get out!" Her mother barked at him. "Before I call the cops!"

Von's eyes widened at this. "No..pleaze! You don't underztand!" He held out his hands, desperation clinging to his very voice. "I didn't come here to ztart trouble! I juzt want to zee your daughter real quick and..."

Her mother cut him off. "_No_! You hear me? _The answer is no_!" With flattened hands, she crossed them out in front of her in a swiping motion. A way to emphasize her words. "Leave my premises now, Doctor Von Doktor! Or you will hear from my lawyer..."

Penny widened her eyes at this. Her mom almost never said something like that, especially in that tone of voice. Von must have really pushed her buttons to make her mom this angry. Then again, it was Von. She bet it didn't take much for him to push her mom over the edge. She remained quiet as Von stared at her mother in shock, reluctant to simply turn around and walk away.

But Von was smart enough to know that he couldn't simply say. He must have known he was pushing his luck. He did nearly get himself into hot water with Rudy. He could have easily slipped up there. And the same thing could happen here. He knew better than to keep trying.

Von didn't say a word at first. He merely cleaned himself up, giving a calm expression to her mother. He made a 'hmph' sound before turning around and opening up the door. He held it open for a few seconds, and then he looked over his shoulder. "I am zorry for dizturbing you, ma'am." The door was slammed shut as he left.

The girl flinched at this. She didn't detect much genuinity in the man's voice. He must have just said sorry because that's what her mother would have wanted to hear. He was just trying to settle her down so she wouldn't call the cops on him. She saw the look in his eyes. Though he didn't see her, she did get a quick enough look to see that glint in those man's eyes, indicating he hadn't yet given up. He'd be back.

But for now, she could breathe a sigh of relief. At least he was gone for now. Whatever he had tried to do, it was clear that he did not succeed, thanks to her mother. She was grateful that her mother was able to stop him. Good thing she stayed up in her room. Who knows what would have happened if she had been the one to answer the door...

"Penita? Is that you?"

Penny nearly staggered at the sudden call from her mother. She moved closer to the railing and peered down. She could see her mom looking up at her from the bottom step. There was a look of shock and a bit of regret in her eyes.

"Yeah, mom. I got hungry and I..." Penny's voice trailed off. Her eyes shifted nervously towards the door. "What...what happened...?"

"You saw that?" Her mother asked in a regretful tone. Penny nodded her head. "I'm...sorry you had to see that." Her mother held up her hand in gesture as she explained. "Doctor Von Doktor came and he wanted to speak to you. I, of course, wouldn't allow it, especially after how he had treated your little friend."

"Yeah I heard." Penny said softly. She moved closer to the steps. She grabbed onto the railing. "I'm just glad he's gone."

Her mother nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, me too. Let us hope we don't have to deal with him again."

Penny wished she could share her mother's certainty about that. While she also hoped she wouldn't have to deal with Von again, a part of her realized that this was likely not going to be the case. She would see him again soon. And no matter how long it took to run into him again, it would always be too soon for her.

She made her way down the steps. She did her best to push thoughts of Von aside for now. She didn't want to waste her time thinking about him. She had to focus on what was important right now. It was too late to head into ChalkZone at this very moment, so she would have to settle with writing a quick note apologizing to Rudy and Snap about not making it. And to also inform them about her near-encounter with Von. They needed to know about that. This was something they were going to need to discuss in the next meeting, whenever that will be.

Penny followed her mother into the kitchen. The little girl went over to her chair and pulled it out. She sat down in the chair and nudged herself towards the table. She looked over at where her mom was. She could see that her mom was busy making pancakes. The aroma filled the air, teasing her nostrils, making her mouth water.

"How many would you like?" Her mother asked.

"Two please." Penny held up two fingers, a smile spread across her face.

"Coming right up dear!" As her mom went to work mixing in the batter and preparing to cook the food on the skillet, she asked, "Hey, do you mind doing a couple of chores after you eat? Before you leave for school?"

"Sure, no problem! What would you like me to do?" Penny asked.

Her mother looked at her over her shoulder. "Oh not too much. Just check and make sure the dogs have ther food, as well as the other animals. It shouldn't take too long."

"All right, I'll take care of that." Penny said with a smile. "You can count on me!"

Her mother gave a light-hearted chuckle. "Yeah, I know, Penita."

sss

Penny wiped her brow as she finished up with taking care of the last animal. There was quite a number to take care of and most of them didn't even get their food in for today. She guessed her mother was distracted by Von. The man likely wouldn't allow her to continue her work.

Oh well, at least it was finished now. She set down the bag of dog foot, leaning it against the side of the wall. She turned her attention to the dogs, the last animals she had fed. They were wagging their tails excitedly as they chowed down on their food. She smiled at this. It always made her feel better after working with the animals. For a moment, she had forgotten about what happened earlier.

She felt something nudge behind her. She turned her head and saw it was one of the horses they were taking care of. She giggled softly and held onto the horse's head, gently rubbing her hand on the top of its long snout.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sniffles." She had to stifle a laught at that name. The things people named their pets. Some of the names had left her wondering. It would be like she got a pet amphibian of some kind and decided to name it Pencil. "No more food for you." She gently pushed the horse's head away. "You need to wait until lunch for you to have more. I'm sorry."

Penny walked away, listening to the horse whinney in desperation. She would have loved to feed the horse more, but her mom had a strict rations thing going on. It was highly expensive to feed all of these animals, so there was a strict schedule on when everyone was fed. Penny was to follow this to the T, never deviating from it. Her mom would know if an animal got too much food.

She walked out of the barn. She put her hands on her hips and looked all around her, making sure that she didn't forget any of the animals. She always doublechecked at the end like this, just like her mother taught her. She never knew when she would miss something.

And sure enough, she had. Looking over, she could see a small chicken coup her mother had. She had forgotten her mother agreed to take a look at these farmer's chickens. Something about them not laying eggs like they should. She immediately went over to feed them, grabbing onto a small bag of feed and bringing it over.

The chickens looked up from their small enclosure as Penny placed the bag not far from where they were. She used a measuring cup to get the exact amount of feed. She reached over and placed it on the ground in front of them, away from the fence that kept them sealed in.

"Here you go. I'm sorry I forgot about you." Penny said as she watched the chickens start to feed. Now she had finally fed the last animal. Now she had to...

Suddenly, without warning, Penny felt something grab her. She made out the sounds of the dogs starting to bark, as well as other animals becoming restless. She tried to call out for help, but something covered her mouth. She was yanked backwards, dragged away from the barn and towards the back. She was pressed up against something warm and solid.

Penny could hear her mother calling out to her. Eyes widening, Penny began to struggle against her captor. She jerked her body from side to side, her heart pounding against her chest. She was tempted to bite, but her captor felt larger than her. She feared the response if she tried such a thing.

She let out a muffled yelp when she felt something sharp prick her skin. The back of her neck felt like something was crawling. Her struggles increased, panicking, her mind racing with thoughts. Just what was this person doing to her? She tried kicking out her legs, tried hitting against her captor despite her previous fear. But she failed to get even a grunt from whoever was holding her. Her frantic eyes darted from side to side. She hoped and prayed someone would see this.

Her heart sank when she realized this was not going to be the case. The trees and fence, as well as the barn itself, blocked anyone from seeing what was happening. She couldn't even scream; her mouth was covered. No one could hear her. This realization filled her veins with ice.

Penny's brown eyes bulged open when she felt something sharp pricking her again. This time, it was against her throat, right on the side. She flinched as the pain momentarily increased, and there was something cold being pushed into her. Her struggles increased with vigor, her loud, desperate whimpers continuing to be muffled by the hand on her face.

Slowly, her body began to grow weak and unsteady. Her cries for help grew quieter. Her mother's voice became distorted until she could hardly make out what she was saying anymore. Penny realized, in horror, that she had been drugged. She barely had time to fully register this before the darkness began to consume her.

No, she couldn't go to sleep. She had to fight back. She had to stay awake. She tried to wriggle out of the person's arms, tried to get away so she could call for help. But nothing she did worked. She soon found herself slipping, with only her captor being the reason she didn't fall totally on the ground. Her eyes began to flutter, and she realized she was losing the fight.

With tears flowing down her face, with the knowledge that she may not ever see this place again, or her mom, Penny let out a weak, sorrowful whimper. Then she closed her eyes, and everything became nothing but dark silence.

sss

"_Penny_...?"

The girl jerked a little at that voice. It sounded so echoey..so far away...

"_Penny, please get up_!"

The voice became more urgent. Penny looked around desperately. All she could see was darkness. Nothing but blackness everywhere. Fear began to develop in the pit of her stomach. What was going on?

She couldn't even remember how she had gotten here. She could imagine a few images in her head, but they where hazy and confusing. She was not able to piece anything together. All she knew was something happened, and now she could not see anything. She couldn't help but let out a frightened whimper at this realization.

"Come on...you have to wake up..." The voice.. It sounded so familiar... As it became clearer, Penny realized who it was. Her mother. "Please open your eyes..."

Penny struggled to open her eyes. She commanded every muscle in her head to pull the lids open so she could see. At first, her body would not obey her. It revolted against her in favor of remaining shut. She continued to fight back, and slowly, very slowly, she managed to open her eyes. Just a crack, but still open.

Immediately, she was showered by bright, intense light. She let out a yelp of pain, jerking her head back. She registered she was on something soft and almost wet. She let out a few more groans she forced herself to open her eyes again. She blinked several times as she slowly adjusted to the light raining down on her. In front of her, she could see something fuzzy. Two blurry shapes, both looking down at her.

As soon as her mother's shape came into view, Penny let out a weak stammer, "M-Mama...?"

Though she couldn't fully see the expression, her mother let out a sigh of relief. "Oh _thank goodness_ you're all right!" Penny stiffened when she felt her mother's arms wrap around her suddenly. "I was so worried!"

Penny didn't answer. She stared blankly ahead. Suddenly her mind had become muggy as she fully realized just how tired she really was. The heaviness of sleep weighed down on her, and she could feel her eyes start to close. It was a struggle just keeping them open.

As her vision cleared, she let out a groan and looked around. The colors around her had finally started to make sense, and she could make out the shapes and structures all around her.

She soon realized that she was outside. She was laying on the grass, supported upright only by her mother's arms. She was behind the red barn, the wooden fence right in front of her. The bright light she had detected was the sunlight. Considering how it was partially filtered by the leaves of the trees, that spoke volumes of just how sensitive she had been to the light for a short time. Just how long was she out?

Penny reached up and touched her head with her hand. She let out a soft groan, rubbing her forehead gently. Her mother moved away from her, still gripping her daughter gently. Penny could see just how terrified her mother looked with the way she was looking at her. Penny felt her heart twist when she realized she had worried her mother sick.

Penny tried to think of what had happened. There had to be a reason she was on the ground like this, a reason why her mother was so worried. But she was not able to think of anything. Her mind was a blank. Even with the few hazy memories that she had, like something about feeding the animals, she could not piece together what had occurred.

"Are you feeling alright?"

This voice made Penny stiffen her body, her eyes widening. This voice..it wasn't her mother's. It wasn't Rudy's parents, or Rudy himself. It belonged to someone she would rather not see.

She lifted her head and turned it. There, standing not far from them, was Von. The old scientist looked almost worried, staring down at her through those small glasses of his. He kept his distance, not daring to take a step forward. This did little to comfort Penny and she found herself letting out a frightened whimper as she squirmed in her mother's arms.

"Penita, was is it..?" Her mother whispered to her. Penny didn't need to say a word for her mother to understand what had gotten her riled up. "Oh _him_?" There was a tinge of bitterness in her voice. "Don't worry about him. He's the one who helped you and alerted me to what happened."

Penny spluttered at this. "Wh-What...?"

Her mother nodded her head. "That's right. I heard the animals making noise and I went to check it out, and Von here was with you. He was trying to..make you breathe again..." Her mother's face contorted into sadness for a few seconds. "If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here."

Penny stared at her mother in astonishment. A part of her wanted to think that this was all some sort of elaborate hoax. But then, her mother wasn't the type to lie to her. She wouldn't have covered up any of the details. She would have been honest. And Von... as much of a jerkass that he was, he wouldn't have just left her to die. He wasn't _that_ cruel.

She looked over at Von. Licking her lips nervously, she managed to choke out, "Thank you..."

Von smiled at her. It was uncomfortable to look at, then again, any smile from anyone she didn't like felt this way. He gave her a quick wave and said, "Don't mention it, kid."

Regardless of his friendly demeanor, Penny could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong. She didn't know if Von was involved or not, but something just didn't feel right about this whole thing.

But then, maybe she was just being paranoid. It was quite possible. Maybe she just got so worked up over the situation with Von and Terry that she had triggered an attack somehow. She couldn't entirely dismiss that possibility, even if it did sound absurd. Or maybe she tripped up during her feeding of the animals and got hurt that way. This possiblity became more likely when she felt some soreness in her neck. She rubbed it, winced, and pulled away.

Yeah, her neck had been injured. That did make the story seem more likely. She might have tripped on something and hit her neck, which momentarily stopped her from breathing. Bruised trachae or something. It was likely this made less sense than she thought, but she was too shaken up and confused and tired to really care.

Penny slowly climbed up to her feet. Her legs wobbled a little as she tried to keep her balance. Her mother helped her, letting her lean against her for support. Penny smiled gratefully at her mother, glad that she was around to help her. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like waking up alone like this...

..._and to him_...

Penny looked warily over at Von. Despite the fact that he helped her, and her mother confirmed it, she still did not feel comfortable in his presence. There was just something...off about him. She hoped he was going to leave soon.

Her wish was granted.

"Don't think this changes anything, Doctor..." Her mother said in a controlled voice. The anger from the man's audacity earlier was still evident in her voice. "I am grateful you helped my daughter, but you still are not going to interrogate her based on some fairy tale..." She narrowed her eyes at the man. "Do I make myself clear?"

The old man blinked at her. There was a bit of mild surprise in his eyes. Nonetheless, Von smiled and nodded his head. "Oh don't worry." He placed a hand against his chest. "I underztand completely." He looked down at Penny. "May I at least..apologize to her?"

Her mother narrowed her eyes in suspicion. After a few seconds, it was clear she decided there was no harm in that. She gave a quick nod. "Go ahead... But make it quick. It's almost time for school and I need to contact the principal about what happened."

"Underztood." Von approached Penny slowly. The little girl looked at him cautiously. She didn't attempt to stop the man from speaking. "Look, little girl. I'm...zorry about the way I acted. It wazn't right of me." He held out his hand towards her. "What do you zay? Shall we put ziz mess behind uz?"

Penny stared at the hand suspiciously. She then looked up at the man. Silence surrounded them as neither of them attempted to speak. The man did not look like he was losing his patience; just calmly holding out his hand, waiting for her to take it. Penny debated whether or not she should take it. She had no idea if the man had any tricks up his sleeve.

But the hand was empty. She saw nothing in it. She did not see any hidden weapons, nor did she see a reason for Von to try something so tricky. Her mother was here as well, so it was unlikely he could pull off any stunt, even if he tried. This didn't relax her all the way, but it did help her to calm down a little.

She reached over and grabbed the man by his hand. She did her best not to shudder when she felt the fingers wrap around her hand and squeezed it. The two shook their hands up and down a couple of times before Von released her. Penny pulled her hand back.

"I'm glad that iz taken care of." Von said with a smile. "I do apologize for dizturbing you two. I will be on my way." With that, the man turned and walked away.

Penny stared as the man left. When he disappeared completely, she placed a hand against her head. She suddenly became aware of a pounding headache spreading through her skull. It made her wish that she knew exactly what happened. She had so little information..it frightened her. And it happened on a whim, with no warning...

"Penita..." Her mother said as Penny leaned against her, her legs growing weak. "Do you want me to tell the principal you won't be coming today?"

Penny let out a soft groan. With her hand still on her head, she thought about what her mother said. The idea of staying home did sound good. She wasn't sure if she could really function in school this way. On the other hand, she still wanted to meet up with her friends, and she still had a chance during recess, even though it would be shorter due to the delay.

"No.. I'm.. I'm fine..." Penny said. She walked away from her mother and began to make her way towards the house.

"No, you're not fine." She heard her mother's worried and stern voice say. "You need some rest. Go upstairs and lay down. I'm going to call Principal Stringent and tell her that you won't be coming today."

Penny whirled her head to her mother. "But mom..."

Suddenly, a burst of dizziness struck her. She realized she had turned her head too quickly too fast. She grabbed onto it as she nearly dropped down to her knees. She heard her mom call out her name and the pounding of feet. She was soon aware of someone grabbing onto her and balancing her. She looked up to see her mother.

"See?" Her mother said. "You're _not_ fine. Come on...let me help you up..."

Penny had no choice but to allow her mother take her up to the house. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew her mother was right. She was going to have no choice but to lay down. She could not function in school like this, let alone be of any help to her friends. It was going to have to wait.

sss

Terry watched the scene from far away, behind the shield of a tree. She kept her back pressed against the bark, ignoring how cold and ragged it was. She kept her head mostly covered behind the trunk, with only enough of her eye exposed to see what was going on.

Her mind reeled from what she had witnessed. She was too far away to hear much of anything, and some of it, she had missed. But she still had seen enough to realize that something was wrong. She had a hard time believing what she saw, and she struggled to try to make sense of it. Just what was going on here? And just what was that scientist up to...?

She recognized the old man. Dr. Von Doktor had been one of the many eye witness accounts she had used to try to spin her tale about the chalk world. She thought he would be one of the several clinchers she found. Unfortunately, Von, like other witnesses, Mr. Wilter and Vinnie, had been dismissed as a nutjob. The memory about how that guy treated her, calling her theory 'bull dandruff', still twisted her stomach in anger.

At the moment, however, her anger was replaced by confusion. She noticed the man there, standing with Penny and her mother. It was merely with this fact that she knew something was up. If there was one thing she and Von had in common, it was their mutual dislike...no...hatred of Penny, as well as Rudy. At least, that's how she saw it. She could see no reason why Von wouldn't be upset with those two children after what he said they did. Even in their interview, he had sounded angry.

So what would possess him to go to _Penny's place_? And why did he shake her hand? Terry wished she had gotten closer to see what all the fuss was about. She knew it was none of her business, but as a reporter, it was her job to be nosey and look for information, no matter what it took. It was nothing personal..._usually_.

When Von left, she watched him carefully, her eyes locked onto his face. He didn't appear to notice her. He walked away nonchalantly, giving no indication he had any kind of scheme in mind. He hardly seemed upset from what Terry saw as a hostile interaction with Mrs. Sanchez. It was as if the bitch hadn't bothered him. But why...?

Terry stopped her thought before she could finish it. She stared at Von's face as he passed by. Suddenly he stopped. He looked left and right. Terry's eyes widened as she pressed herself against the tree trunk. Had he noticed her?

Thankfully, Von's stay there was only shortlived. He merely shrugged his shoulders, dismissing whatever thought he may have had. He continued his walk down. Terry peered from behind the tree and watched him.

That look on the man's face.. She had only seen it momentarily, but it was enough for her to realize something right away.

_The man was up to something_...

Terry's mind buzzed with thoughts at this revelation. Von had some kind of plan going on. He was there for a reason. He had went to Penny because it must further his goals somehow. But what kind of plan could he possibly have? What reason would he get to want to go after Penny? The only thing she could think of was...

Her eyes twinkeld. Ah..so _that's_ what it was... How interesting. A smile tugged along the woman's face. Perhaps she should see the doctor again sometime.


	6. Tactics

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 6: Tactics

_**Not always will things go your way. So best prepare.**_

sss

Penny couldn't rest. She found it impossible to do so. After what happened with Von...how could she relax? Her mom told her everything was going to be okay, and that Von didn't have any capability of doing anything. But that didn't leave her feeling very satisfied. In fact, it only increased her anxiety.

Who knows what Von was going to do now? The fact that he came over to her place to speak to her... something just didn't feel right about that. Von had no way of believing that she was involved with the experiment. He might know that she helped Rudy escape, but that was of little use to Von at the moment. Not like he could risk capturing Rudy without risking himself going to jail.

So the only possible reason she could think of that he'd come after her was...was if he thought that she helped make the perpetual motion device works...

Her heart froze at that thought. The very idea was rather chilling. It was hard enough dealing with Von going after Rudy. But now herself...? She imagined that he wanted to get her to speak about the perpetual motion thing, or try to get her to tell him how to make Rudy speak. Anyone could tell that she and Rudy were really good friends. And anyone who was intelligent enough would take full advantage of that. This was something she and her friends would have to prepare for.

At the moment, though, she could do nothing. Her mother told her to stay in bed for a while. She was not going to school; her mother had called the principal and it turned out they decided to close the school down. Whatever they were doing, wiring or something, it was taking longer than they thought, and the principal just decided to shut the school down. Rather unorthodox, but it at least gave Penny some more time. All day in fact.

She looked over at the chalkboard. Despite what her mother said, she couldn't just lay down. She had to get up and head into ChalkZone. Rudy was likely getting ready to leave back into the Real World, no doubt oblivious to the school being shut down. Snap was waiting for her as well. She couldn't lay here; she had to contact them.

But standing up was rather problematic. She couldn't get very far without having to stop herself and lean against something. The swirling headache still had a stronghold on her mind, making her grit her teeth. The pain in her neck was also present. This made it hard for her to turn it without wincing.

She still wondered just what had happened to her out there. She was grateful that Von helped her. That was one thing she could say about him. At least he wasn't as heartless as he could be. That didn't mean she trusted him enough to speak to him, however, and she was still going to be on full alert around him. In the meantime, her mind focused on this pain, and what could have triggered it.

She still went with the theory that she merely tripped over something and hit her throat hard enough to make it very difficult to breathe. She had heard of such injuries before, and they can be pretty dangerous. Difficult to pull off, but not impossible.

There was such a small window of opportunity with such a thing as well... It had been a good thing Von was there to help out, however he did. He might not be a medical doctor, but he was still smart enough to know what to do. She narrowed her eyes and cursed herself when she realized she didn't ask Von what the person who attacked her looked like. There was the possibility he had seen what happened, even drive away the attacker. Yes, he had to have seen who it was that had snuck into her yard and ambushed her.

Penny cursed to herself, unable to believe that she forgot such a thing. Oh well, there was nothing she could do about it now. She would ask Von later about what happened. Maybe leave him a message over the phone or something. She would be careful not to get too buddy buddy with him, however, as she did not want to send the wrong signals. She needed the man to know that she will not help him in regards to the perpetual motion.

Penny kept her eyes locked on the chalkboard, taking in a deep breath and sighing. She was still unsure of what she was going to do. Simply walking over there was going to be difficult. She would stumble too much and her mother would catch wind of what happened. She might even remove the chalkboard so that she wouldn't try to walk to it again, or stay in the room and make sure she rests.

Nah...she wouldn't do that. She had too many chores to do. But she could ask one of the neighbors to come in and watch her for her. Penny was likely not going to be able to get the neighbor to leave, especially if it was the few that she knew would be stern and stubborn.

She grumbled to herself. She couldn't believe that this happened to day...of all days. She and Rudy could have had a lot more time in figuring out a strategy, but instead she was stuck at home in bed all because she was too stupid to make sure she wasn't being approached. She should have looked around harder. She should have been more prepared. She should have...done something. Anything different... She...

She realized she was being hard on herself. She had no way of knowing what was going on. She couldn't have been able to prepare for anything. She had done chores with the animals alone before. Just the basics, like feeding the dogs. She never had anything like this happen. So how could she have known that today would have been different?

Still.. She could have been a bit more alert, or struggled harder, or something. She still felt as though she could have done more to prevent her getting knocked out by...by whatever was injected to her. A drug of some kind. She flinched as she rubbed her neck. The pain still hadn't gone away from that.

If she could just put a name and face, or at least just a face, to her attacker, she could inform her mother and they could report this in better detail. Her mother was likely calling the police right now, or is going to, and let them know what happened to her. The neighborhood certainly needed to know what was going on. Penny certainly wouldn't want any of the other neighborhood kids to be harmed in this mess.

Before Penny could think too much further into her situation and how to get out of it, she heard a knock on her door. She lifted up her head and turned over to see her mother coming into the room.

"Hey..." Her mother said in a gentle voice. There was a soft smile on her face. She walked in slowly, as if she were afraid of scaring or upsetting her. "How are you feeling?"

Penny watched as her mother approached her slowly. The door wasn't shut, and it remained partway open. She noticed her mother was holding some kind of small tray in her hands. It looked a little strange, unlike any tray she had seen before. On top of it was some kind of soup. Penny cocked an eyebrow at this.

"You made me soup? Mom, you didn't have to..."

"I wanted to. I know it's not necessary, but I want to you to eat this soup." Her mother set the tray on her lap carefully. Penny felt the warmth of the soup touch her legs immediately. "This will help get your strength back." Penny looked at the tray closely, giving it a couple of sniffs. "I also mixed in some medicine." Penny looked up at her mom at this. "Some strong painkillers and antinflammatories. It'll help with your neck and headaches."

Penny wasn't sure what to say. She was stunned that her mother took the time to bring her any food this quickly at all. If she were sick, that would be one thing. But all Penny really needed was rest. Her mother didn't have to go through all this trouble just for her. The realization that she did made her mouth tick into a smile. She could count her mother for a lot of things, and this just further cemented that fact.

Penny smiled at her mother and said, "Thank you."

Her mother smiled back and nodded her head. "No problem." She reached over and stroked Penny on the head. "You just eat your soup and relax. Take all the time you need to." She leaned forward and gently kissed Penny on her forehead. She pulled back. She caressed Penny's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, mom..." Penny said in a soft voice.

Her mother smiled at this before reluctantly moving away from her and heading towards the door. She paused for a moment, looking back into the room, her hand on the door. Then, after waving goodbye to her, she shut the door behind her, sealing Penny in her room.

Penny continued to smile towards the door for a few moments. She then slowly softened her expression and her smile faded a way completely. She turned her attention towards the soup that was in her lap. She licked her lips slowly. Despite having eaten breakfast, she was getting a little hungry. Perhaps she could eat at least some of this soup.

The fact that there was medicine intermixed with it didn't other her. This was a tactic her mother did in the past to get her to eat her medicine. It usually worked out very well, though it often depended on the medicine at hand. In some situations, it wasn't going to make much of a difference in covering up the bitter taste. And for medicine without a bad flavor, it was pointless to try at all.

Penny picked up her spoon and began to eat the soup. She winced as the hot fluid hit her tongue. She pulled back, her eyes bulging. She managed to swallow the bite, but she had to open up her tongue and pant to cool it down. Man, this soup was boiling hot. More so than she thought it was. She looked down and she noticed the steam rising from it. She felt like an idiot for not noticing this earlier.

As she leaned back to let the soup cool, she noticed something unusual about the tray. She already could tell something was up with it before. But now that she was holding it in her hands, she could tell something was definitely up with it. It did not feel like any tray she had used. It wasn't made of metal, but more wood than anything, and the bottom portion of it was unusually cold compared to the rest of the tray, and it felt different, too.

At first, Penny tried to ignore it. She attempted to shrug it off by saying it was just a new type of tray her mother got for some reason. She soon resumed eating the soup once it had cooled down enough. She pushed thoughts of the tray in the back of her mind as the liquid food dribbled down her throat.

However, attempts to block it out of her mind were futile and only lasted a short time. The confusion over the tray returned with a vengeance and her mind was soon bombarded with thoughts regarding it. She couldn't push them away no matter how hard she tried. She clutched her head, her fingertips pressing against her scalp. The confusion began to eat away at her stomach, making it impossible for her to concentrate on eating her food.

She tried to shift the thoughts away. She tried to stear them towards something more important, such as the situation going on with Terry and Von, or getting into ChalkZone. But nothing she did or tried would work, and her mind was dominated by the thoughts of this tray. Her intelligent mind just had to make sense of it, and, unable to control it, all attention of her brain was diverted towards this unusual tray.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she grabbed onto the tray and lifted it up. She lowered her head so she could peer underneath it. It took a little while to see well enough, but soon, she could make out what was underneath. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

It was a black surface. Much like a... a chalkboard...

This realization made Penny widen her eyes. Her mother had used a chalkboard as a tray? She...she never did anything like that before. She couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath, wondering what would make her mother do such a thing. She recognized this chalkboard as a portable one her mother got. She usually used it herself, but she sometimes allowed Penny to use it. What would possess her to reduce it to a mere holding tray for food?

Then she felt something next to the bowl of soup. She hadn't noticed it before. She didn't know how she didn't see it earlier. She stared at it, seeing the strange object laying there by the bowl. She reached over with her hand and grabbed onto it. She picked it up and pulled it towards her.

A piece of chalk...? Why would her mother give her a piece of chalk..? Penny kept staring at it, and the chalkboard. Her swirling headache only got worse as she tried to figure out what her mother was trying to do with this.

It took her several moments to realize what it most likely was. She felt silly that it took her this long to reach this conclusion.

It was quite obvious that her mother just wanted her to have a bit of fun. After what happened to her, it was clear her mother wanted to find someway for her to relax. And drawing and figuring out equations were one way that she relaxed. Her mother must have wanted to give her something to do instead of being cooped up in bed, waiting for the effects of the knockout fluid to leave her.

Penny couldn't help but smile. Her mother may not have known it, but she really came through for her today. She needed a way to contact Rudy and this was the perfect way to do so. And she didn't even have to get out of bed for it.

Penny hurried up and finished her soup. Though she wasn't hungry, though she got pretty full before the bowl was finished, she still ate. She didn't stop until she consumed the entire bowl. She flinched as some of the warm liquid began to dribble down her neck. She grabbed her blanket and pulled it close to her. Folding one end into a small triangular shape, she quickly wiped the soup from her neck.

Soon the bowl was almost empty. She put her spoon down and lifted the bowl to her face. She drank the rest of it. Once she was finished swallowing it, she set the bowl down on the bed, the spool placed in it. She flipped the chalkboard over so that the black surface faced her. She stared at it for a few seconds, her mind running throught thoughts as she tried to figure out how she was going to say to her friends.

Once she figured out something, she grabbed onto her magic chalk and began to write.

sss

"Come on, Sophie..." Rudy said softly. He leaned against the leg of his bed, staring at his little cousin. Though he was tired of trying, he said, "Isn't there anything you want to do...? That doesn't involve that chalkboard?"

Sophie shook her head, a wide grin on her face. "Nope!"

Rudy let out a sigh. "I figured..."

Rudy wasn't sure what he was going to do. He needed to get into ChalkZone to meet up with Penny and Snap. They were waiting for him, he knew. Standing there outside the portal, tapping their feet, looking at the time...

He felt a sense of guilt for making them wait so long. It wasn't what he intended to do. He hated that it's taking him so long. He was lucky that school ended up being cancelled anyway. That gave him extra time, but there was little he could do at the moment. He had to get Sophie out of here, but nothing he tried worked. Nothing could tear her away from that chalkboard.

He normally wouldn't mind this. But today wasn't a good day for it. The fact that she isn't just visiting for a few hours, instead staying for a couple of days, did not sit well with him. He didn't want to have to wait until late at night to head into ChalkZone. That just wasn't an option. Plus, Sophie could sometimes stay up really late if she wanted to. That gave him even less time.

He knew that sooner or later, she would get tired of the chalkboard and do something else. Unfortunately, that could take a long time. Sophie loved to draw and scribble, and his chalkboard was the perfect place to do that. She could reuse it over and over again without fail. It probably won't be until sometime in the afternoon that she would finally stop.

Okay, maybe earlier than that. He couldn't imagine even Sophie staying focused and excited about drawing for that long in a single day. Still, it was going to be too long for his taste, and the longer he stayed here, the more his friends were going to wonder where he was. They were probably worried sick. If Sophie would just leave, even just for a moment, then he could send a message to them and try to meet up with them later. It wouldn't take long at all. All he'd have to do was wait for Sophie to go to the bathroom or something, and he could scribble the message while she was away.

Unfortunately for him, Sophie had a bladder made of _titanium_. She could hold it in for a very long time without problems. No matter how much she drank, no matter how much liquid she put down her throat, she did not make a break for it to the bathroom for _hours_. Unless he figured out something, he was going to be here for a long, _long_ time.

Rudy looked over at where his cousin was, his eyes trailing over what she was drawing. This was her...tenth batch? Or maybe twelfth? He no longer remembered. He lost count. All he was aware of was his cousin was still here, still drawing more scribbles, all of which looked the same as anything else she drew. This added to his confusion as to how many times she erased. Nothing seemed to change. He didn't say a word to Sophie about it, though. After all, she was a beginner artist who still had a lot to learn.

Rudy wondered how much time had passed since he last made a stronger attempt at getting Sophie away from the chalkboard. At least an hour. He noticed the light of the sun had shifted to a new location. Yeah...an hour seemed to be accurate.

He sighed. How was he going to get into ChalkZone at this rate? He couldn't keep his friends waiting for long. If he could at least write a message, it'd all be good. But Sophie wouldn't leave the board, no matter what he said. She was flat out determined to stay put there, continuing to scribble until the end of time.

A part of him was just tempted to go in anyway. He had wasted enough time waiting for her to stop. He needed to get into ChalkZone to speak to his friends, or at least write a note to them. But on the other hand, he realized just charging into ChalkZone now might not be a good idea. Sophie was surely going to want to come with, and even if he was quick about it, she would jump through the portal faster than he could react. Then he was going to have to search for her in ChalkZone and go through all that trouble again just to get her out.

Sophie had been surprisingly difficult to catch when she had gotten into ChalkZone. It was amazing...but horrifying at the same time. Sophie was lucky that she didn't run into any of the nastier residents. Sure, most zoners were pretty docile and wouldn't dream of hurting Sophie. But not all of them were so complacent. Especially Skrawl...

Rudy shivered, feeling a wave of coldness move through his body. He couldn't begin to imagine what he'd go through of _Skrawl_ had gotten a hold of Sophie. She might be really young, but she was still a creator. Skrawl might teach her and get her to draw some pretty crude things that would still be dangerous enough to take over ChalkZone with. Even Sophie's regular scribbles could be bad enough in the wrong hands. They were so tight and strong... Skrawl could take any zoner hostage that he wanted to. Including himself...

Rudy decided to try again. This was the...he lost how many times he had tried to talk to Sophie. But still, he had to try. He didn't have much of a choice, now did he? He had to contact his friends, and fast. The guilt was rising up inside of him. He didn't want to worry them any longer. Oh what he wouldn't give for a cellphone, but his parents won't get him one until he was older. So there was only one thing he thought he could do.

The boy got up to his feet. He felt his muscles ache from how long he had been sitting down. He stretched his body. Relief swept through him, especially after hearing some cracks in his back and other places. He then made his way over to where Sophie was.

"Hey Soph...?"

Sophie stopped what she was doing and looked over at Rudy. She continued to smile broadly at him. She waved her hands towards the chalkboard, pressing them against the surface, smudging her scribbles a little. "See? See what I did? Rudy! Rudy! Did you see?"

Rudy smiled. He nodded his head once. "Yeah..I did." He paused, turning his eyes from one side to the other. "Umm... Can I have a turn...?"

Sophie shook her head in an almost furious fashion. If it weren't for the smile on her face, he would have thought she was angry at him. "No! Still draw!"

"_Aww_...but Soph..." Rudy's expression contorted into sadness. "Please...? Just one thing...?" He held out his hand. "I promise I will give it right back to you. Just..." He moved his hand closer. "It won't take long. I promise. Just a little..."

Sophie cringed away from him when he got too close. She held the chalk against herself and shook her head. She muttered a loud 'nuh uh'. Knowing that he couldn't just take it from her without there being issues, and knowing he wouldn't do that himself anyway, Rudy took a step back.

As his cousin resumed drawing, he sighed and tried to think of a new strategy. Whatever he had tried failed. Sophie just wouldn't let him use the chalkboard. She was currently just thinking of herself, which is normal for someone her age. Usually she would be more selfless if she realized how said she was making a person, but this time, that wasn't going to work. She was just too excited.

So a new strategy was required. Something that he hadn't tried yet. Something that would be more effective.

He knew what he could do. He didn't want to. He hated having to do this. He didn't like dragging his aunt into these situations. And he knew that she didn't enjoy it either. She often practiced yoga and other forms of medication to keep her calm in part due to the disagreements he and Sophie can have sometimes. He didn't want to 'inspire' her to take longer meditations.

Bringing in his aunt was the last thing he wanted to do, but if Sophie didn't leave and let him use the chalkboard, then it was the only option he had left. He still wanted to make sure this option was run and dry first before he went down to get his aunt, however. Sucking in a breath, he took a step foward, his eyes locking onto Sophie's drawing form.

"Are you sure I can't draw anything, Sophie?" Rudy asked carefully. He didn't want to sound like he was trying to force her into giving him the chalk. He wanted to be sure that she did so only on her own terms at this point. "Please?"

Predictably, Sophie shook her head. "No!"

Rudy let out a sigh, lowering his body forward a little. He shook his head. "Then you leave me with no choice, Sophie..." At this, his cousin looked over in his direction. "If you don't let me use the chalkboard, I'm going to tell your mother."

Rudy hated how low and immature he sounded with that. He hated seeing the shocked look in his cousin's eyes. He hated being the bad guy. But he was getting desperate, and Sophie was taking way too long with the chalkboard.

Sophie shook her head. "No! Please! Not mama!"

Rudy gave a wry smile. "Oh I'm sure mama won't be happy if she found out you weren't sharing with me." Rudy felt his heart twist as he saw his little cousin's expression. She must really be hurting inside. He _never_ spoke to her this way before. He reminded himself that he would make it up to her soon. "So..now can I draw?"

Sophie didn't respond. She looked from the piece of chalk in her hands, and then back at Rudy. She bit her lip and took a step back. She still seemed reluctant in spite of what he said.

Rudy gave a nonchalant shrug. "Is that a no? Isn't that too bad..." Rudy turned his back to his little cousin. "Well, let's see what mommy thinks about this." He began to walk towards the door slowly. He deliberately took his time, giving his cousin plenty of time to respond. Luckily, it didn't take long.

"No, Rudy! No get mama!" Sophie cried in desperation. Rudy stopped and looked over his shoulder. He did his best not to react to Sophie's saddening expression. "I let you draw! Just no tell mama!"

Rudy smiled as he saw his cousin hold the chalk out in front of her, waiting for him to take it. He let out a sigh of relief, glad that he was able to convince his cousin to give him a chance at the chalkboard. He walked towards her slowly, not wanting to startle her anymore than he probably had. When he reached his cousin, he took the chalk from her carefully, holding it tightly in his hand.

He looked at Sophie, and his expression softened up. She looked so sad and so scared... Rudy felt filthy for resorting to using his own aunt as a threat to get what he wanted. He briefly wondered what had come over him. He had to make it better. He had to set things right with her before she thought that he hated her or anything.

Rudy reached out and put his hand on Sophie's shoulder. "Sophie...I'm..."

But she wouldn't let him finish. With a frightened squeal, she struck his hand away from her and backed away, her body shaking. Rudy had never seen his cousin overreact like this...but then again...her cousin never saw her act like this before either.

"Soph..." Rudy said softly. But it was too late.

Sophie turned around and ran away. He could hear her calling out for her mother over and over again. Soon, the calls vanished as Sophie disappeared down the steps, looking for her mother. Silence fell upon the room, but Rudy knew this was going to be short lived.

Rudy felt his stomach twist in guilt. Just what had he done...? He never should have went through with that plan. He shouldn't have scared his little cousin like that. Now Sophie was going to think that he hated her and his aunt was going to be so angry with him. He clutched his hand tightly, digging his fingernails into his scalp. He clenched his teeth, grinding them. He was such an idiot.

It didn't take long for his aunt to realize what had happened. He could hear his aunt call to her little daughter worriedly. He could hear her ask what was wrong with her. Rudy flinched, knowing exactly what was going to happen in a matter of seconds.

"_Rudy Tabootie_!"

Rudy froze at that, his body stiffening. Sophie had just old her mother what he had done to her. Rudy felt his blood turn to ice, hearing just how angry his aunt sounded. He rarely ever heard her this mad at him, or at anyone or anything in general. It took _effort_ to get her into this state. His mother was easier to anger and that was saying something.

His aunt's angered voice interrupted him from his thoughts. "_Come down here this instant, Rudy Tabootie_!"

Rudy shuddered. His aunt must _really_ be angry if she referred to him by first and last name more than once. He took in a shaky breath, swallowing nervously. He looked back at the chalkboard. He had to get this done real quick. It wouldn't take long.

He got out his chalk and headed towards the board. He pressed the chalk against the board, pausing only to figure out what to write. A message that was quick enough to write in seconds, but detailed enough that his friends understood what his plans were. Before he could write, however, he realized that he had the wrong chalk.

The magic chalk..he couldn't use this. He would end up creating portals, either small or larger, or of different shapes, when writing the message. He was about to pull his hand away when he heard the pounding of footsteps approaching fast behind him and then someone grabbing him by his arm. He let out a cry of surprise.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, young man!" Aunt Tilly hissed at thim as she began to pull him back.

"I-I didn't..." Rudy started to say as he was ripped away from the chalkboard. He nearly lost his grip with the magic chalk. "Please, I..."

"You can explain all you want to when we get into the kitchen!" Aunt Tilly growled. "I hope you have a good explanation for what you did to my daughter!"

Rudy couldn't say anymore. He could only gulp as he looked up at his aunt. He shivered when he saw just how anger-filled her eyes were. He knew, just from that, how much he had screwed things up.

His aunt dragged him towards the door, nearly making him trip over his own feet. He held tightly onto the magic chalk, stuffing it into his pocket. He tried to look back towards the chalkboard, but his aunt yanked him out of the room too fast. He soon found himself being pulled down the stairs at such incredible speed. He tried pulling back, tried to beg his aunt to let him go. But she didn't listen, only tightening her grip further. Rudy winced when he felt her nails dig into his skin.

Soon they were in the kitchen. Aunt Tilly pulled him over towards one of the chairs. She stopped in front of it. She used her free hand to pull the chair out towards them. She then thrust Rudy against the chair. Rudy winced as he felt his aunt's nails scrape against his arm. He looked down, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw there was a tad bit of blood on his arm from his aunt holding him too tightly. He looked up at her in shock, but all she did was glare back down at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his cousin. He didn't dare look at her. He already knew what she was going to look like. Sad, frightened, maybe even crying. He felt so horrible. Poor Sophie. Why did he have to be so stupid...?

Rudy looked up at his aunt. He flinched at how angry she looked. She glared daggers down at him. It made him wonder just what his cousin had said to her about what he did. He clenched his teeth nervously, turning his head to one side in submission. He watched as she folded her arms agaisnt her chest and spoke.

"What have you _done_...?"

sss

Come on... Where could they be..? They said they were going to be here right around now. So what was taking them so long? Did they forget about their meeting? Did they get so busy with something that they just forgot to check in with him?

He shook the thought out of his head. There was no way they would just forget like that. It just wasn't like them. He had known them for years, and they never did anything like that before. If they couldn't come, they always told him in some shape or form. It was just not their style.

So for them to not be here yet... He had a feeling that something was wrong. Something was stopping them from coming. His racing mind was unable to prevent him from thinking about all kinds of things that could have happened, such as them getting caught by someone else, or them getting kidnapped, or something else popping up that they didn't know about. As much as he wanted tot hink it was nothing serious, he just...couldn't help but wonder.

But in the end, he knew he was overthinking it. Rudy and Penny had everything under control usually. They always found the time to see him, even in the mornings of school. Not a lot of time during those moments, but it's enough to see him and give a quick rundown.

Snap had been waiting by Rudy's portal for quite some time. Nothing happened. Usually, Rudy would stop by and at least say hi to him. He had been late before, so Snap didn't think anything of it when he didn't show up. But when that became a couple hours...

What was going on with Rudy and Penny? He hadn't seen any sign of Penny in ChalkZone, and Rudy obviously wasn't here, or he would have seen him by now. He didn't have a watch with him, but being a zoner, he had an internal clock of sorts, and usually knew what time it was without the need of such a thing. A trait common on zoners since the sun does not rise and fall like it does in the Real World. He knew, just from intuition, that school for his friends had already started. He knew that he was going to have to wait for lunch in order to see his friends.

...provided they even show up. What if they wouldn't show up again? What if whatever happened to them would occur again? What if they were in danger? Snap put his hand on his chest, feeling his heart start to race. He managed to calm himself down, but the sense of dread was still there. He couldn't help it. Usually, he was more rational about these things, but today was a bit different.

There were currently two probable threats. Von, and, much more likely, Terry. Von is a lower threat since he knew nothing of ChalkZone and only wanted to know more about perpetual motion that he was so certain Rudy had discovered. Terry, on the other hand... she was a whole different story.

Snap still remembered how that woman had kidnapped her and tried to put him on television so people would know about zoners and of ChalkZone. He had to admit, despite being considered crazy and missing some key details, Terry's plan was pretty solid. He may not have ever admitted it, but it was only through shere luck that the producers thought he was just a clown. Anyone who thought more deeply about it, like Terry obviously had, would have realized he wasn't human and... he shuddered to think of what the consequences could have been...

Snap knew just how dangerous Von would get if such information leaked out. Terry was bad enough, but it wasn't her he knew they should fear more, but other people as they became aware of ChalkZone.

Von? If he found out, he would take a zoner and tear them apart to see how they tick... That was how some scientists could be. Biologists and all that, wanting to know how zoners are alive despite not being made of carbon or being, on their terms, organic. It was going to be like that nightmare he had...only real.

He remembered vividly when he had that terrifying nightmare of being turned into a living cookie. It had messed him up real good, and even after telling his friends about it, he still felt at unease involving the subject. Being placed on a table, being inspected by his own friends, almost getting eaten...

And if Von were to find out about zoners, that could become a reality. Well..not the whole 'getting turned into a cookie and eaten' thing, since to humans, anything in ChalkZone would taste like, well duh, chalk. But he would strap zoners down to a table and proceed to examine them, and a lot of that could be very painful, to the point where it might as well be called torture.

Snap heard someone calling out his name. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder. In the distance, over one of the hills, he could make out a shape coming towards him. The voice sounded familiar, and was clearly male. But the voice was so faint and the person so far away that he couldn't tell who it was at first.

Then his name was shouted again, and the Day Zone sun shined more directly on him, illuminating him from the shadow of one of the clouds that was overhead. Snap's eyes widened.

"Blocky?" Snap asked in a soft voice. He did his best to hide his worry as he saw his friend scrambling towards him. "What is it?"

"Snap! Thank goodness I found you!" Blocky soon got up to him. He stopped a few feet in front of Snap. He placed his hands against himself as he bent over. He opened his mouth and panted a few times. He then looked back up. Snap could see no fear in his eyes, but tiredness. He relaxed at this. "I found this note! It's from Penny!"

Despite the fact that it was probably nothing too bad, Snap couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest. The letter hadn't even been opened, so Blocky not being fearful did not mean that something wasn't wrong. Wanting to know what the note said, Snap reached out and grabbed onto it. He quickly opened it up and looked at what it said.

'**Hey Snap! Sorry I couldn't come. I was knocked out earlier. I'm not sure what happened. But don't worry. I'm fine! Dr. Von Doktor helped me out. Yeah I know what you might think of that. I'm unsure of what to make of it myself. Anyway, school has been cancelled. I will try to meet you in ChalkZone later. I have to rest while the knock out injection given to me wears off completely. So...probably in the afternoon or evening I'll be in ChalkZone. Be sure to let Rudy know! And I'm so, so sorry if I left you guys waiting for so long.**

**-Penny'**

Snap stared at the note. Many thoughts raced through his mind. He noticed Blocky looking at him worriedly, and he may have even asked what was wrong. But Snap hardly paid attention to him, his focus solely on the piece of paper.

A part of him felt relief. Penny was fine. She was just laying down, resting. There was no hospitalizations or kidnappings or anything that he had feared and dreaded. However, that was the only bit that had relaxed him. The rest..a different story.

Penny had been knocked out? When she said that, Snap initially thought she hit her head, like falling off a ladder or something. Though that didn't happen, what did was just as concerning to him. The fact that she was injected.. Someone did that to her on purpose? Was it Von? Penny didn't say it was, and he found it strange he would stick around and help undo what he did. But...then again it did make a lot of sense because, well, it would keep the target off of him. But what purpose would he have in knocking Penny out if that were the case?

And then there was the other matter. If Rudy wasn't with Penny, then..._where was he_?

The note Penny wrote to him made it very clear that she thought that Rudy was here in ChalkZone with him. But Snap had been waiting here for hours and he never came. So the question was...what happened with Rudy...?

Snap did his best to relax. Penny was fine and would come into ChalkZone later after she was feeling well. Perhaps Rudy had gotten sick somehow? No, if he did, he would have told him via portable portal. He saw no sign of his friend. The fact that Penny didn't know Rudy's true location, or what was wrong with him, had the little superhero zoner worried.

As worried as he was getting, Snap realized there would be nothing to gain from that. All he could do now was sit here and wait. If Rudy doesn't show up, or if he doesn't send any notes, he'll just have to wait for Penny and they could see what was up. She could draw a tiny portal and peer in to see what was going on.

Snap hoped that nothing was wrong with Rudy. He couldn't really think of why he wasn't in ChalkZone at the moment, but he was certain there was a good reason for it. And he hoped that reason wasn't too serious. He was just going to have to wait and find out.

sss

"Hmm...I don't know. Why should I lizten to you?" Von asked, cocking an eyebrow up.

"You are refusing my offer?" Hissed Terry, her fingers curling against her palm. "I would have thought you wanted help in this!"

Von shook his head. "No, I'm not zaying zat at all. It'z juzt zat..." The old man rubbed the underneath of his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the woman before him. After a bit of silence, he finished his sentence. "I am not sure if your...reputation would mix well with..."

Terry narrowed her eyes dangerously at this, looking as if she was going to flip her lid. "My reputation..?" Her voice darkened at this. "Is that what you are afraid of?"

Von held up his hand in gesture. "It'z nothing perzonal, mizz. It'z juzt..." He darted his eyes from one side to the other. "I wouldn't want to...taint my rezearch with your...stories."

"_Stories_?!" Terry rose up from her seat, her face slightly reddened. "Is _that_ what you think they are?! Just.._stories_?!" She slammed her hands against the table, shaking it. Von flinched at this, turning his head to one side. "Well let me tell you something! I _know_ what I saw! I was in there! That stupid sewer rat thing..._eating my hair_.. I didn't imagine that! If you dismiss me as a _crackpot_ like _everyone else_..."

"I...well, I..." Von stammered as he tried frantically to calm the woman down. "Zere iz no reazon to..."

"Get upset? Oh I have a good reason to be upset!" Terry hissed at him. She took in a few ragged breaths. Her furrowed expression seemed to tell tales of thoughts that were going through her head at that moment. "Do you know what it's like having your reputation ripped apart? Do you know what it's like to have children, mere little brats, be the reason why no one takes you seriously anymore? Do you know what it's like to not even be able to speak your name without people bringing up that blunder you made? Do you know how it feels to be right, but then told you are wrong by everyone else, despite you knowing the contrary?"

Von listened to the woman's rant. He did his best to remain calm. He didn't want to get pulled in. He didn't want to get himself worked up. He did what he could to push back the growing anger inside of himself. This woman had the audacity to act like he didn't understand any of this. Did she have any idea who she was talking to? Then again, maybe he should cut her a break. She was just angry and spewing out whatever came to mind.

He let her rant and rave. He leaned back in his chair, trying to keep a neutral expression. If he remained like this, resisting the urge to frown or glare at her, he could potentially avoid a nasty argument. Even when the woman would say something insulting to him, he would resist any temptation to attack back. The best way to deal with this was just to let them run out of steam.

And sure enough, Terry's vigor began to decrease slowly. She eventually became more relaxed, quiet. Her breathing became more controlled and less ragged. She talked less and less, and whatever she did say became more coherent and understandable. Soon, silence fell upon the room, and they merely just looked at each other.

Von was at war in his own mind. Here, he had a potential ally. Terry had confronted him not too long ago. He wasn't sure why, except it had to do with the chalk world. And that was his major reason for being so hesitant.

Von still wasn't sure if he wanted to believe in this chalk world. He knew how much Terry was mocked for it, and considering his own ruined reputation, it might not be a good idea to join forces with her. She might drag him further into this supposed conspiracy these children were allegedly hiding. What remained of his reputation would be ruined if he...

He paused for thought. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad an idea after all. He wasn't sure if he would buy into her ChalkZone stories. However, she was still a potential ally, and he might need some help. She knew these children better than he did, it seemed. And her anger and hate towards them would motivate her even more.

Terry took in a few more heavy breaths as she glared at him. After a few moments, she relaxed her expression. She shifted her eyes around as she seemed to realize what she did. She closed her eyes and said, "I'm...sorry about that outburst. I..."

"No. Don't worry about it." Von waved his hand dismissively. "We all get angry. Now... tell me exactly why you are here."

"I already told you. I think you and I could do well working together. Out of everyone I interviewed, you are the best candidate." Terry explained. "You're not a grumpy teacher, or an insane demolitioner." She cracked a small smile. "We're both smart. If we work together..." She held her hand out in gesture. "We could show the world that the chalk world is..."

Von cut her off. "I am _not_ getting mixed in with that junk." He quickly realized that he sounded way too harsh at that. So he cleared his throat and back tracked. "What I mean to say is... Whether or not this chalk world exists isn't my priority. I am more interested in the perpetual motion. That..."

"..is nothing compared to a world made of chalk. Think about it." Terry leaned forward, her body stretching across the table. "People would pay thousands of dollars to get into such a place. No. _Millions_." Von's eyes widened at this. "You should already know that, I'm sure. Such a discovery would pale some perpetual motion thing. You'd have people flocking to you!"

"Hmm..millions of dollars..?" Von asked softly.

Terry nodded her head. "Perhaps even _more_."

Von had to admit, the idea sounded really intriguing. He was still skeptical, but he had to admit, this woman did make a lot of sense. He would get more rich off a chalk world than perpetual motion. No one had ever discovered an alternate dimension before. As impressive as perpetual motion was, the reaction to an alternate would be...unfathomable.

"Okay... you have my attention." Von said. He motioned his hand out towards her, gesturing her to continue.

"If you're willing to help me, and accept my help, I promise you that we will get what we deserve. We will get back our reputations, and we will get even with those little brats by showing them that, in spite of their efforts, they were not able to stop us." Terry raised her hand up, palm facing upwards, and curled her fingers inward, almost like they were claws. "No one will _ever_ call us crazy again."

Von stared at her for a few moments. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "...do you have any way of proving this theory of yours?"

Terry smirked at this. "Yes. I know of a way. I promise you will not be disappointed."

Von remained silent for a moment. Despite his better judgment telling him this was a bad idea, he couldn't help but give a devious smile. Perhaps he had finally gotten the break he deserved...

sss

"Hey, Snap! Look!" Blocky cried, pointing up towards the sky.

"What? Where?" Snap turned his head up. His eyes widened in shock at he saw. "A portal..?"

"Maybe it's Rudy!" Blocky said enthusiastically.

Snap resisted the urge to snark back at his friend. Of course it was Rudy. There was no one else it could be. Rudy was the only member of his immediate family that knew about ChalkZone, and Penny was laying in bed and wouldn't be in until later today. The only one left was Rudy.

Unless...

Snap sucked in a sharp breath, feeling his heart start to pound. What if someone else had taken the chalk from him? What if his parents had found out and had interrogated him about it? What if they forced him to tell them how he got in, and now they were using the chalk themselves to come in? What if...

He shook his head. No, he couldn't think like that. It was going to be fine. It was just Rudy finally coming in to talk to him. As soon as the portal opened up, he was going to see his friend poke his head through and apologize for being so late. Maybe he just overslept since school was cancelled. Maybe he was a little sick and didn't feel up to talking to him, even with the portable portal. Unlikely, but still, in a way, possible.

In a few seconds, the portal finished and the light flashed. Snap could see the interior of Rudy's room, but so far, in the first few seconds, he didn't see Rudy. He and Blocky waited, stairing up in confusion.

Then something unexpected happened.

"Draw! Want draw more!" A cute little voice cried out.

Snap's eyes bulged at that voice. He had only heard it one time before, but there was no mistaking it. "Oh caloy..." Snap put his hands to his face, giving a few quick shivers. "It's Rudy's little cousin, Sophie!"

Sure enough, Sophie poked her head through the portal. The two year old had a broad smile on her face as she looked around. There was a flash of familiarity in her eyes, especially when she settled them upon Snap and Blocky.

"Drawings!" She said with a giggle as she leaned herself forward. "Drawings!"

"She's going to fall!" Blocky cried, his eyes wide.

"_Oh no_...!" Snap couldn't stifle the gasp of horror as Sophie leaned in too far and she fell in. "Don't worry! I've got you!"

"Me too!" Cried Blocky.

Sophie's scream filled their ears, but thankfully it was shortlived. Snap and Blocky, moving as fast as they could, dove towards where the girl was falling. Working together, they managed to catch her before she hit against the ground. They landed in the dirt, coughing as a bit of dirt got in their faces. They quickly sat up and looked at the girl before them.

Snap could feel many questions run through his mind. What was Sophie doing here? Where was Rudy? Why wasn't he here? He looked up towards the portal. He saw no sign of Rudy coming in. Glancing down at Sophie, seeing the magic chalk in her hands, he knew that she herself had drawn the portal, and not Rudy. He looked over at Blocky, and his expression yielded the same question as him.

_Where was Rudy_?

However, Snap's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a startled shout from Blocky.

"Sophie's getting away!"

Snap looked over and he saw that Sophie had gotten a great amount of distance from him and Blocky. His eyes widened in horror, memories of what happened the last time she was in here flooding back to him.

The little zoner was frozen, uncertain of what to do. A part of him wanted to go after Sophie, but another part wanted to stay and wait for Rudy and tell him what happened. He looked from the portal and then to Sophie. He kept looking between them, trying to figure out which would be the right thing to do.

Eventually he decided. He wasn't sure if it was the best move, but it was still better than nothing.

Turning his attention to Blocky, he said, "You're more flexible than I am, Blocky. Go after her and try to bring her back!"

Blocky nodded his head. He needed no further prompting. He immediately rushed towards Sophie, calling out her name. Snap watched him leave and then turned his head back towards the portal. He bit his lip, his mind buzzing with worry.

"Please hurry, Bucko..."

sss

Von felt stupid for forgetting this small detail, especially since he had just had it installed today. Okay, it wasn't a small thing. It was quite major in fact. And since Terry was in on the whole thing, he might as well inform her. Perhaps she could help him...enhance it somehow.

"So...you're saying that you put a tracker in Penny?" Terry asked, raising an eyebrow. "_Without_ anyone noticing?"

Von nodded his head. He smiled, pride radiating off of his body. "It was quite easy, too. All I had to do was knock out the girl, and the rest followed suit." He reached the cabinet and he pulled out a monitor device. He looked down at it. Without looking at Terry, he said, " We can use this to track her wherever she goes."

He slowly walked back to the table. He placed the monitor against the table as he pulled up a seat and sat down. Terry looked at it curiously, and then glanced at Von. He could tell she was waiting for him to turn it on, so he did. With a push of a button, the monitor was on, displaying white with various lines and multicolors. A map, not unlike a GPS.

Thinking back to what the woman said before, he gave her a sideways glance. "Do you think this will further help you prove your...chalk world theory?"

Terry looked at the monitor long and hard. He could see her eyes brightening, a twinkle in them. The smile that spread across her face was, as unnerving as it was, very confirmative of what she was thinking. She stared at him intently, and spoke, "Oh yes. This is..splendid."

Terry looked over at him, her smile growing as devious as his was before. In response, he smirked evilly right back at her. Turning his attention back to the monitor, he pressed a button on it. There was a couple of beeps, and then a red dot appeared on the screen.

It was Penny's location. He and Terry exchanged smiles with one another and then glanced back down.

"Good..." Terry said in a low voice. "Now...all we have to do...is _wait_." Her eyes twinkled at this.


	7. Uncertainties

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 7: Uncertainties

_**Second rule: Remember things that change as quickly as an angry twister.**_

sss

Rudy clutched the brush tightly in his hand. His knees were starting to hurt from being on the ground for so long. His arms were aching. Yet despite that, he still scrubbed the hard floor of his bathroom. Back and forth, his arm went, never stopping or resting. He wanted to get this done as soon as possible.

He had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like forever. He was so tired, he wanted to just collapse on the ground and sleep. But he could not do that. He had to keep going. Only when he was able to get this done could even think about resting. It was almost finished. He just needed a little more time. Just a little...

"Let me know when you are done!"

Rudy winced as he heard his aunt call out to him, hunching his shoulders. There was still a tinge of anger to her voice, but she had noticeabley calmed down. She was more or less calmly waiting for him to speak to her after he was finished here.

"No problem, Aunt Tilly!" He called back, making sure that his aunt knew he got the message. There was nothing but silence after that.

Rudy was still shaken up by what had happened. Mostly in his own behavior. He hadn't meant to treat Sophie like that. He didn't mean to scare her. He could understand why his aunt wasn't happy with him about that. She was her daughter after all. He should have controlled himself more and not give into such a temptation.

At least he didn't try to hurt her. He'd never do that. He loved Sophie, and he was not a violent person. He couldn't begin to fathom any point in time where he would be tempted to do something malicious to anyone.

But threatening to bring her mother in, taunting her about it... He should have realized he was drawing the line with that. He could have just left and told his aunt about what was going on. Instead, he chose to talk to Sophie about bringing her mom in, and he wound up upsetting her. He wasn't even able to calm her down and apologize before she bolted. Even though it wasn't his intentions, he still felt horrible for what he'd done.

Aunt Tilly was quite angry with him, and though she understood his frustration, she couldn't believe that he had acted that way just because she wasn't sharing. To his aunt, that's what all was at stake. Just not being able to use his 'precious chalkboard' as she had put it. Not that he blamed her. She knew nothing about the dangers he puts himself through in protecting ChalkZone. She couldn't begin to comprehend everything that he has done for this world that she didn't know existed.

He did apologize to Sophie. He couldn't tell if she took it well or not. Sometimes it's hard to tell with little children like that. She ran off later, and he could hear her climbing up the steps. Probably went back to his room so she could draw on his board more.

After that, Aunt Tilly decided to punish him. Rudy thought it was a little extreme, since he did not do anything that terrible, and Sophie seemed to be fine. He wasn't really sure what motivated her to punish him like this, but there was little he could do. The woman decided the best way to 'teach him a lesson' was to make him do a few chores. Not horrendeously difficult chores, though. Just enough to discourage him from doing that to Sophie again.

Rudy tried to explain to his aunt that there was no need for this, and that he had learned his lesson. But his aunt would not be swayed, and she kept with the punishment. She gave him a certain amount of time to finish each chore, and then she'd check to make sure he did it.

His body was now aching from the chores, though mostly just from this curent one which involved the most manual labor. Scrubbing the bathroom floor was a daunting task for someone his age, and out of the chores, this was the hardest one. There were several dirty spots that hadn't been cleaned yet and Aunt Tilly wanted him to clean all of them, and she wanted him to scrub the bottom of the bathtub itself as well.

His arm was getting so tired. He just wanted to drop the brush and rest. He could not do that. He had to keep going. He was almost there. He was nearly to the door. He just needed to scrub some more, and then he was finished.

He realized this was not going to be his final chore. His aunt likely has another one in store for him. He smacked his lips together, licking them slowly. He was getting so thirsty. And the idea of him having to do another chore before he could even stop was a bit unnerving for him.

His mind shifted to ChalkZone. He wondered how Penny and Snap were doing without him. He wished he could have left them a message. He felt awful that he hadn't done so earlier, before his aunt had grabbed him. Then again, he had so little time and...well, how could he have written a message in a few seconds? He was just going to have to wait until after he was finished with his chores before he went into ChalkZone.

And hopefully, that wouldn't take too long.

Soon, he was done. He could feel the soft carpet of the hallway as he exited out. He stared at the floor, which now shined back at him. So clean it was, he could see his face in the reflection. He smiled at this, feeling a sense of pride of his accomplishment. His aunt would definitely be pleased with this.

Standing up, stretching his sore legs and his stiff back, feeling a few pops here or there, he turned his attention towards the steps, knowing that his aunt was in the living room. "I'm finished, Aunt Tilly!"

A bit of silence, and Rudy wondered if she heard him. He was about to call out again when his aunt suddenly cut him off. "Okay then. Come on down here! I want to talk to you some more!"

Rudy stiffened a little at this. She hadn't done this before in his punishment; she would just inspect his work and then tell him what else to clean. He wondered why she wanted to call him down to speak to him. He wondered just what she had to say. Was she going to yell at him more? Did she have a lot more work for to do?

Seeing that he had no choice, Rudy nodded his head in spite of the fact that she could not see it. He set the scrubber down and he made his way towards the stairs. He placed his hand on the railing and took in a deep breath. Preparing ihmself for what might be coming, he slowly descended the staircase.

As he did this, he again thought back to his friends. He hoped that they were doing okay and not worrying too much about him. He had a lot of explaining to do the next time he saw them. He hoped they would understand.

sss

"Are you sure thiz iz zee bezt place for ziz? Shouldn't we..?" Von's perplexed voice filled the air.

Terry shot an annoyed glare at him. She curled her lips up partially, showing a bit of her teeth. "Will you hush up?! Do you want to give ourselves away?!"

"Well no but..." Von paused for thought. His eyes widened in realization. "But there's nobody here! How could I give ourselves away if there's no one even..."

Terry covered his mouth quickly. The man gave a startled grunt and struggled. She looped an arm around his neck and tried to hold him still. "Just be quiet! I don't want to screw this one shot that we have! So don't talk loudly. Or better yet, don't talk at all unless it has to do with our mission!"

She released him immediately after that. Von moved away from her, pressing his shoulder against the cold curviture of the van door. He gripped his throat, rubbing it carefully. He glared back at her. His face was contorted, his lip curled up in annoyance. But despite his anger, Terry hardly paid attention to him. Her dark eyes were focused on the house before them, many thoughts running through her head.

She had dreamed of this moment for so long. She had bided her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She had put up with insult after insult, all kinds of mocking stories, her name being smudged into the ground like it was nothing. And she had been waiting, observing, hoping that she would get a chance to strike back.

And now...it seemed she finally had her time. When Von came into the picture, everything changed. Yes, she believed she was going to enjoy working with him...provided he did what she told him to, of course.

At the moment, the old man was annoying her. He kept asking her, over and over, what the point of this was. She would explain it to him, but she figured he was smart enough to know. Clearly he wasn't, and she was not in the mood to stop her mission just to explain something he should have been able to figure out on his own. After all, if she looked away for too long, she may miss the opportunity.

Of course, this tracker screen helped out a lot. It would be hard to miss their intended target. The blinking red light stood out like a sore thumb. Terry glared down at it. Yes, as soon as this thing moved, they would know exactly where she was going.

If the darn thing would move at all. Terry bit her lip hard, her teeth almost sinking into the skin. She wasn't sure what was taking that brat so long. She usually was with Rudy right about now. Yet she hadn't left her home. She hadn't gone to Rudy's house. She hadn't moved from this spot for quite some time now. She suspected that Rudy's place was where they entered the chalk world usually. Rudy seemed like the mastermind between the two. Three if she counted that blue boy. So why was Penny still at home?

"I zink we should go to the girl'z houze and..."

Hissing lowly, Terry whipped her head towards him and barked, "_No! Now shut up_!"

Terry realized she was being loud herself. She knew she would have to learn to better control herself. She was not going to get them very far in this investigation of theirs if she ended up being the one triggering others to what they were doing. They were parked on the street just in front of Rudy's house, and though no one said anything, she knew they couldn't afford to bring attention to themselves. Her disguising her van certainly helped. Painting it a different color and all that.

She kept her gaze on the house before her. She recognized it from anywhere. She had been to Rudy's place enough that she knew its design from a distance. To a lesser extent, she also knew Penny Sanchez's, and sometimes drove by there in hopes of catching the girl alone, or doing something that warranted inspection. Of course, neither of those happened.

There was good reason that she was here instead of at Penny's, despite the fact that Penny was the one with the tracker, not Rudy. She hadn't explained it to Von, much to his frustration. He didn't know as much about the chalk world as she did. But in spite of that, she still thought that he would be smart enough to know what her planning was, what her train of thought at the moment is. If he was so smart, he should have figured this out by now. Oh well, that's not really important right now.

Terry glared at the dot, and then lifted her head up, giving an upwards glare towards Rudy Tabootie's house. Any time now... She just needed to keep waiting. Sooner or later, she would have all the proof she needed that something was up with these two, and that a breach in dimensions had occurred.

All they had to do was wait for Penny to make her move. She theorized that the children met in that chalk world a lot, as it was easier than having their parents drive them all the time. There were probably many drawings in the chalk world that would help them reach each other quickly. If her theory was right, then when the red dot moves towards Rudy's house, and when it finally touches, they should not see anything from Penny herself. No car. No bike. No little girl walking. It would be as if a ghost had come.

And she was going to get it all on camera, too... She had some set up in the front of her van, disguised and unseen. And she had one just above her, pointing straight at the tracker. And then one large one that would catch both the monitor and the house in front of her. Soon, she would have the proof she needed to show that an alternate dimension indeed existed.

"_Zee dot iz moving_!" Von hissed in a low voice.

Terry blinked a couple of times and stared down. Sure enough, the red dot, which indicated Penny, and started to move. And much to her delight, it was going straight for Rudy's place. Her mouth tugged into a twisted smile. Revenge was going to be _so sweet_...

sss

Penny let out a sigh of relief. She was wondering when her mother was going to let her leave. She understood how worried she was. Even after getting some rest and regaining her strength, her mother was still concerned about her.

Not that she blamed her. After all, she did stop breathing for a time. Penny thought this was because she hit her throat, but her mother said that Doctor Von Doktor said she was choking. It did make sense. That would explain why her mother didn't rush her off to the hospital. Although it did not explain the soreness in her neck.

She brushed it off, wanting to, instead, focus on getting into ChalkZone. Her mother had looked her over to make sure she was okay. She wanted to be certain that nothing else happened and that what happened wasn't more serious than it looked. Her mother did notice puncture marks on her neck, but thought they were just mosquito bites, especially with how they raised up and were a bit itchy. Penny insisted to her mom that she was feeling fine now, and, at last, her mother determined she was healthy and fine, and left her alone. Penny knew her mom would come back soon to double check on her, so she took this chance.

Looking outside her window briefly, she knew that it was afternoon. The familiar golden color of the sky began to radiate into her bedroom. The rays touched her skin, making her feel its warmth. It was a reminder to her of just how long she had waited, and how much time had been wasted. She could have gotten into ChalkZone sooner if she had just crawled in about two hours ago. But she had decided to wait, and then her mom came in and...

Well, at least it was over now. She would be able to get into ChalkZone and meet up with her friends. Provided they were still there... Well Rudy might be back in the Real World. Snap may have stuck around to wait for her. She did tell them about when she would arrive anyway. Rudy might have had to go back home due to the time, but Snap was likely going to meet up with her.

The sooner she got into ChalkZone, the sooner she would be able to talk to Snap. She hoped that he would be able to relay to her information regarding the meeting. Perhaps they had thought of something new. Maybe they had come up with a plan of action.

Penny took out her magic chalk. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that her mother wasn't looking in. She then turned her attention back to the chalkboard in front of her. She leaned herself forward a tad and quickly drew a portal. She climbed in and erased the portal behind her.

Penny was a little surprised that Snap wasn't here. She thought that he was going to meet her here. Then again, she had only assumed that, and Snap maybe have just been unaware of her wanting him to meet her here. He might even still be with Rudy or got caught up talking with a friend about something. No matter. She could just look for him. It was usually pretty easy to find Snap, so it wouldn't take her long to spot him.

She began to trek further into ChalkZone. She headed towards where Rudy's portal would be. She figured that would be the best spot to look. After all, that was where Snap hung out a lot, just waiting for Rudy to come in. That was where they usually met up, and Snap's reflex was just to go there. He sometimes went to her place, but it was not nearly as common.

As she moved along, she noticed something really peculiar. It wasn't anything that caused alarm bells to ring. But something just felt...different. She looked all around her. Something seemed strange about this ground. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, darting her eyes around, noting the detail of the ground. Yes, something was different here, but what...?

Then she realized it. At first, it was hard to tell due to the texture of the ground. But when she peered at it more closely, she realized there were some extra lines here. These hadn't been here before, and they didn't even match up to the grassy ground's own original details. They were too dark as well. Black. Lines of black moving along the ground in random patterns, darting from side to side, looping around at random.

Penny blinked her eyes at this discovery. Had one of the zoners decided to paint the ground? She couldn't see any reason for it, but ChalkZone was such a bizarre place sometimes, she wouldn't be surprised if such a thing were to occur. One of the zoners may have had the idea to do this and just went with it.

But no, that didn't seem right. Penny noticed something else about the lines that she nearly missed. Something that disproved the idea that a zoner had drawn this.

The lines seemed to _loop around_ the lines that made up the ground...

This instantly chilled her mind. The implications of this were very clear. It was impossible for a zoner to loop around the outline of something else. It was just impossible. But there was something that could do this. Something that was like a double edged sword across ChalkZone, whom she and Rudy hoped they'd never have to deal with.

_There was another creator here_...

Penny did her best to keep herself calm. Now wasn't the time to get freaked out. She needed to think rationally about this, and figure out a plan on how to find this creator and get them out of ChalkZone. Staring at the ground, it seemed that the best route to take were the scribbles. But she knew better. This could be a trap, after all. Her best bet was to find a zoner and hope that they had seen this creator and where he or she went.

As she rushed across the ground, her heart pounding against her chest, many thoughts raced through her mind. They buzzed around her head like an angry hornet. No matter how much she tried to calm her mind down, it continued to plague her with several questions.

Just..just _how_ did another creator get in here? What happened? How could this have happened? She tried to think of a possibility, of anything that would reveal to her just what could have went down. Had they lost a piece of magic chalk somewhere in the Real World? Did one of Rudy's relatives find the chalk? ...did _Terry_ get her filthy mitts on one...? That last thought was the most chilling of all.

She had to figure out what was going on here. As soon as she found the culprit, she would capture them and make them talk. She needed to know how they got in so she would be able to fix the problem. She needed to be sure that they would never get back into ChalkZone again. She also needed to make sure that this new creator didn't hurt any of the zoners. That was one of their biggest fears when it came to a new creator. She, Rudy, and Snap, and just about every zoner, were afraid of a human coming in that would either dismiss them as not really alive or just not care at all, and abuse and dominate them. She hoped that nothing like that was happening right now.

With Rudy possibly not in ChalkZone, Penny realized it was up to her to get rid of this threat. She couldn't go over to his place and call for help. She didn't know if he was even in the room, and a creator in ChalkZone was such a dire threat that every second counted. If she didn't find this person and get them out, who knows what kind of destruction they could cause?

Suddenly, in the distance, she heard something that nearly made her heart stop beating.

_A series of screams_.

She widened her eyes at this, and paused for a moment, scrambling to get herself to stop. She stared out ahead as the scream faded off. She tilted her head to one side and cupped her hand around her ear. She listened more intently, trying to see if she could determine the direction of the scream. When it happened again, she could tell it was coming from right in front of her. With this knowledge, she bolted.

It didn't take her long to see the source of the screams. There was a small group of zoners coming her way. They all looked panicked, though not particularly terrified. They were looking behind them, and she realized that they were either getting chased or they were trying to get away from something rolling in their direction.

"Hey, excuse me..." Penny tried to get their attention. But none of the zoners paid any attention to her. They merely brushed past her and continued to run off.

Penny stared at this in confusion. What had them so startled and so determined to get away that they didn't even notice her standing there? This being an open field with not much but hills and grass and a few trees, she stood out quite well. It was hard to miss her. Yet none of the zoner's faces even indicated that they had spotted her.

Her perplexion lasted for a few seconds before she heard a familiar shout behind her.

"_Look out, Penny_!"

The girl didn't have time to say anything or react before she felt something warm and solid collide with her body. She grunted as she was forced into the ground. She felt something brush by her quickly, causing the air to whoosh against her body. She never did see what it was, though. She laid there on her stomach, shaking her head. She felt the pressure on her back give way, allowing her to get up.

Penny looked over and saw Snap standing there, his eyes wide, his body having a bit of dirt marks on it as if he had been skidding across the ground a few times. Penny noticed that he, too, looked worried, but not particularly terrified, as with the other zoners. This kind of calmed her down a little, but at the same time, she was still worried.

"Snap..." Penny breathed. "Just what is going on...?"

At this, Snap smiled nervously. "Um...do you remember that time when Sophie had gotten into ChalkZone...?"

Penny nodded her head. "Well yeah I do, but what..." Penny's eyes widened as she connected the dots. "Wait...you mean that...?" Snap nodded his head a few times. At this, Penny lowered her head and let out a soft groan. The only comfort in this is that at least it was just Sophie, who was such a sweetheart, she'd never hurt anyone. She still had to get her out, though. Looking back at Snap, she said, "Where is she?"

Snap raised his rounded hand and pointed towards one direction. "She went off that way... and she is scribbling so much that a..." Suddenly his eyes widened and jumped in the air. "Oy caloy, here comes another one!"

Penny turned her head to see what Snap was talking about. She immediately froze at what she saw. She climbed up to her feet, her legs shaking a little. She backed away slowly, her eyes unable to tear away from the sight.

There was a large mass coming towards her. Large, black, and round. She could see it wriggling in several places. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was a bunch of scribbles that have been bunched up together. It was hard to tell if these scribbles were alive or not, but what she could tell, right now, was that it was rolling straight towards her. She took a step back as the thing's shadow casted over her. It moved so fast...

Penny felt someone grab onto her hand and yank her back. She was nearly thrown off her feet. She managed to regain her footing. She took in a sharp gasp as she saw just how close that thing was to hitting her. She looked on as the black ball of scribbles roll across the ground. In the distance, she could see the other one, the same one that was rolling after the zoners. She put a hand against her mouth when she saw how close it was to hitting them.

She attempted to go over towards them to help, but whoever had grabbed her hand tightened their grip and pulled her back. Penny let out a grunt as she felt one of her legs trip up as a result. She glared behind her, opening her mouth to speak. She immediately shut it when she saw who it was.

Rapsheeba was staring at Penny, her eyes wide in shock and a tinge of fear. "Penny, what's going on here? Why are there large balls of scribbles..."

"Rudy's cousin Sophie got into ChalkZone!" Snap cried as he rushed over towards them. "She somehow got a hold of the magic chalk and she came in!"

"Has Rudy been in here at all to stop her?" Penny asked.

Snap shook his head. "No, he hasn't." Upon seeing Penny's worried expression, Snap furrowed his eyes with concern. "You mean...you don't know where Rudy is?"

Penny felt her heart skip a beat at this. "You don't know?"

Snap shook his head. "I thought you might know. I mean..." He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I knew what you said in the note, and it indicated you thought he was with me. But I was hoping that..."

Penny couldn't believe it. From what Snap was saying, Rudy wasn't with him. He wasn't in ChalkZone. This raised so many questions. But there was one that stood out the most in her head.

If Sophie was in here, then why hasn't Rudy tried to come in? Surely, he would notice if his cousin had gone missing. He wasn't away from his room that often. So...why wasn't he here?

Snap appeared to notice her expression and had guessed what she was thinking about. "I had stayed by where Rudy usually comes in. It's not far from here." He pointed his hand to emphasize. Indeed, it was in plain sight from where they stood. The portal was visible, plain as day. "But he never showed up. It's been..I don't know how long, but Sophie's been running amok in ChalkZone for a while now and..."

"Is anyone hurt?" Penny knew that the most important thing to figure out right away was to ensure there were no unfortunate injuries.

Snap shook his head. "Not too much. Maybe a few bruises, but nothing that bad. She mostly just annoys or confuses most of the zoners she ran into."

"I saw Blocky going after her earlier." Rapsheeba pointed out. "He hasn't had much luck, though."

"Yeah..." Snap said, a sad tone to his voice. "I would have been glad to help him, but I had thought that Rudy would show up soon to help, and I was going to..." He stopped himself, unable to continue. "I hope you guys aren't too upset with me."

"Of course we aren't! Why would we be?" Rapsheeba asked. She placed a hand on Snap's shoulder. "You did what you thought would be the right thing to do."

"Yeah, Snap. It was pretty smart of you to stay here and wait for Rudy so that he could immediately be on the up and up about this situation." Penny smiled at her friend. "You did what you could." For a few moments, she and Snap and Rapsheeba smiled at one another. But soon her eyes narrowed once more. recalling they had a situation on their hands. "We need to get Sophie back to the Real World."

"Yes, but how?" Snap asked, holding his hands out at his sides in confusion. "She's a slippery little tyke. I've seen Blocky and some other zoners try to catch her, but she always gets away. And the last time she was here, you wouldn't believe how it was to catch her."

"Believe me, I do." Penny recalled in detail what Rudy had told her when it came to getting Sophie out. For a little girl, she certainly put a lot of distance between her and him really quickly. It was hard to keep up with her. "Which makes it even more urgent that we find her and get her back."

"Do you think Blocky will need help?" Rapsheeba furrowed her eyes with concern. "Not that I think Sophie will deliberately hurt him, but the places she might go to..."

Penny and Snap looked at each other, gritting their teeth in worry. It was quite true that this would be problematic. Sophie did tend to wander far and often in places she should not be. If Sophie went into a particularly dangerous location and Blocky followed, it put both of them in danger, making them both suspectable to getting hurt.

Penny bit her lip at this. She hoped that this wasn't going to be the case. She didn't want either of them getting hurt. She knew that they had to find her and fast. At least, unlike last time, magic chalk was at their disposal. She pulled it out of her pocket and stared at it. She turned her gaze towards where Snap said Sophie was. She narrowed her eyes in determination.

"Snap, you stay here in case Rudy comes in. Rapsheeba, come with me. We're going to try to catch Sophie.

Snap nodded his head dutifully and returned to his post where the portal was. Rapsheeba rushed to join Penny as she made her way across the field. As they ran, Penny hoped that she would find the little girl before anything bad happened.

sss

Rudy sat quietly on the couch, leaning against the back of it. He hadn't spoken a word in...he wasn't sure how long he was sitting here. Ten minutes? Twenty? Thirty? He didn't know, and no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't think of an accurate amount of time that had passed.

He held the cup in his hands. He stared down at it, watching as the liquid moved about. It was clear, allowing him to see his own reflection. He was shocked to see just how tired and exhausted he looked. He bit his lip, wondering just how worse he would have looked had he been assigned another chore first.

His aunt was nice enough to let him take a break. She had summoned him down to give him a large cup of water because she knew he would be tired by then. He had entered the living room cautiously, thinking that she was going to yell at him again or something. He was relieved when he finally got something to drink.

The cool liquid soothed his dry, scratchy throat. A small smile formed on his face as his insides were cooled down and his muscles were finally able to relax. The aches and pains from scrubbing the floor began to slowly disappear as his limbs were able to rest and take it teasy.

However, he wasn't fully relaxed.

Aunt Tilly rested on the other end of the couch. He had kept his distance, not even speaking to her, and he only spared her a few glances. He was uncomfortable around her at the moment, as he had no idea if she was still angry at him or not. He didn't want to take the chance of upsetting her further.

He was also starting to feel a bit angry with her himself. He started to feel as though her punishment towards him was rather...extensive. He couldn't help but feel that she was overreacting, and she had never reacted this way before. Then again...he had never upset Sophie this bad before, and his aunt didn't even know the full story. Had he just come down to her like he intended, and talked to her, this mess could have been avoided.

He thought back to Sophie. He hoped she was doing okay. He hoped that he would be able to talk to her again, and that their relationship wasn't damaged. He also hoped that, next time, if she did something that upset him, he could better explain it to her instead of saying the wrong stuff. The last thing he ever wanted to do was frighten his little cousin.

He hoped that he would be able to get into ChalkZone soon. He had been delayed for too long at this point. If he didn't get in there soon to speak to his friends... Well he hoped that everything would work out in the end.

"Rudy."

The boy turned his head to look towards his aunt. She was staring straight out ahead. Her expression was unreadable. He couldn't tell what her train of thought was. Even when she turned her head a little, letting him see more of her face, he was still unable to accurately tell what emotion his aunt was going through.

"I do hope you learned your lesson." Aunt Tilly said. Her voice didn't have an angry tone. More authoritave than anything. "I didn't like doing this to you. I hope you know that." Rudy could only nod somewhat numbly, remaining quiet. "I just needed to make sure you didn't terrify my daughter again. You're the oldest child here. You should have known better. I am very disappointed in how you handled things, Rudy."

The boy looked down in shame. His aunt was right. He should have handled things better. He should have known better than that. He should have realized that he was scaring Sophie and stopped himself before things escalated. Sophie was only two years old.

However, that tinge of anger he was feeling was starting to grow. He managed to keep it from consuming him, or leaving any burning remnants in his body. He still had an uncomfortable feeling inside his chest and stomach, however. He knew it wouldn't go away anytime soon. Not until he was able to talk to his aunt about it, and fix everything. But not now.

"I hope we won't have to do this lesson again. And I hope that you and Sophie will be able to patch things up." Aunt Tilly said. That was when her expression finally seemed to show some real emotion. She turned her head around, her eyes shifting as if to look for something. Her eyes flickered with worry. "Where did she go anyway?"

Rudy replied with a barely emotional voice. "She went upstairs. I haven't seen her since, though."

"I see..." Aunt Tilly lowered her gaze to the ground. She sucked on her lip, biting it. She turned her head to Rudy. "Well, when she's ready, I'm sure she'll come down to speak to you. She doesn't hold grudges for that long."

Rudy gave a small, faint smile at this. "Yeah...I know..."

"Everything will work out. You'll see..." Came his aunt's comforting voice.

But to Rudy, at the moment, it wasn't very comforting. It didn't help him feel better. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. That growing feeling of bitterness was starting to get a little worse as the full realization of what happened began to hit him. For the time being, he was able to keep himself under control. But as for how long that would last...he was not sure.

He could practically feel his aunt's gaze upon him. He knew she was looking at him, waiting him for him to say something. He just couldn't bring himself to. Even as he heard his aunt sigh in sadness, or her say something else, he still remained quiet. He just didn't have anything he wanted to say to her, and anything he thought of saying, well, he knew he was better off keeping his mouth shut.

He couldn't say here anymore. He had to leave. Even if his aunt had more chores to do, he just..had to go. He needed to get away for a time, to allow his feelings of anger to sift out of his body, allowing him to concentrate on more important things. He knew his anger against his aunt was largely unfounded, and remaining angry would do him no good.

"I did think about having you do a couple more chores." Aunt Tilly said. Rudy looked at her. Her expression softened up a little more. "But I think you had enough. You must really have been thirsty."

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah..."

Her expression showing a bit of sympathy, she said, "Did you want to stay here and watch a movie with me? There's a good one coming on in..." She glanced down at her watch. "A few minutes. I think you'd love it."

Rudy shook his head. "Sorry, Aunt Tilly. I just...I need to go upstairs for a while..." His voice was low and soft. He ignored the stare that his aunt was giving him. He got up from the couch and began to walk away. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Aunt Tilly stared at him in confusion. She called out after him. "Are you sure you don't want to stay at least for a little while?" Rudy didn't answer and just kept walking. "Come on, Rudy. I thought you enjoyed watching movies with me. What's..."

Rudy whirled his head around quickly and stared back at her. The movement was swift enough that she fell silent, moving her head back in surprise. Rudy stared at her for several moments, unblinking, not talking. The silence in the air was starting to become so thick, he could practically feel it push up against his face.

"I just... I have to go." Rudy said quickly before he started to bolt.

"Rudy! Wait! Come back!" Aunt Tilly cried in desperation. "_Please_!"

Rudy ignored her completely, not even sparing her a glance. A part of him felt guilty about doing this. The other didn't care, as he was pretty upset with his aunt. But there was still that side of him that knew he shouldn't have run away like that. Aunt Tilly had every right to be angry with him, and his reasons for being upset with her were pretty minor compared to hers.

Still, he ran, moving up the steps. He could hear his aunt's pleading voice behind him. He didn't stop for anything she said. His mind was just focused on getting away from her, not daring to look back. He didn't want to get angrier with his aunt. He didn't want to forget what was more important at this time.

He needed to focus on getting into ChalkZone and make sure everything was okay with his friends. And then he can check up on Sophie, if she wasn't still in his room.

After he ascended the staircase and headed towards his room, he noticed the door was still open. He wasn't surprised. Sophie wasn't usually one to shut doors a lot. So as he approached, he had expected to see Sophie still drawing on his chalkboard, or perhaps turning her attention to some of his old toys that he still had stored in his room.

But when he got closer, he realized that something didn't seem normal. There was a mark on the ground that he didn't recall seeing before when he passed by this room earlier. It looked almost like a light of some kind. Paler than everything around it. Yes, it was definitely a light. But...what was causing it? It couldn't be his blinds. They were already open, and the shape was all wrong for it. That only left...

His eyes bulged open in horror. Oh no...no... It couldn't be possible.. Sophie couldn't have... Not again..

Rudy scrambled through his pocket to see if he still had his magic chalk. To his relief, he did. But then, how did Sophie... He slapped himself in the face. He must have had a spare one he had forgotten about, and Sophie found it. He cursed himself for forgetting this. He was usually good at remembering this sort of stuff. But he didn't have time to scold himself; he had to get into ChalkZone now.

He rushed over into his room, making sure to shut his door behind him. He hoped that his aunt would take a hint and leave him alone for a time. Otherwise, he was going to have problems later on.

As soon as he saw his chalkboard, he realized just how right he was with his assumption. There was a small portal on there. Sophie had went into ChalkZone. Memories of her first and only adventure flooded his mind, and it made him shiver. He hoped that this time around won't be more difficult than it was the first time. And he hoped that Sophie didn't run into any of the dangeres that ChalkZone carried for anyone, human or not.

As soon as he jumped through the portal, he was immediately greeted by his blue friend.

"_Bucko_!"

Rudy barely had time to look over at Snap when he felt thing grab him by his shirt and yank him forward. He let out a surprised cry as he was pulled very close to Snap's face. The two nearly hit each other, and he instinctively rubbed his head as if he were injured.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Snap shouted, his eyes wide. "Just..where were you?! We've been..."

"Sorry. I had some things tying me up in the Real World." Rudy paused for a moment. He realized now wasn't a good time to tell Snap everything. He waved his hand rapidly in front of him, shutting his eyes tightly as he frowned. He said quickly, "But..but nevermind that now!" Raising his hand up, reopening his eyes, he said, "Where's Sophie?"

Snap turned his head and pointed in one direction. Rudy recognized it as the direction to ChalkZone City. "She went that way!" He turned back to Rudy. "Penny, Rapsheeba, and Blocky are already trying to catch her!"

Rudy felt a sense of relief knowing that someone was trying to get his cousin back. But he still felt a pang of worry for her. He didn't know what had happened to her since she had gotten in. He didn't know if she was scared or hurt, or if she was just having a great time like during her only other visit. The sense of relief was only short lived as he realized a lot could still happen, and there were some unscrupulous zoners who would...

He gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on his piece of magic chalk. There wasn't much time to react. He shifted his gaze to Snap, his eyes narrowing deeply. "Come on, Snap!"

"Right behind you, Rudy!" Snap rushed to catch up to Rudy.

As they made their way towards ChalkZone City, Rudy couldn't help but notice all the marks in the ground. Something large, heavy, and round moved through here. He didn't see the culprit yet, but he had a good idea it was Sophie's doing. A fleeting jolt of terror rushed through his spine as he wondered if anyone had been injured. He felt his gut slowly twist up in guilt at the mere thought of that.

He picked up the speed, his feet pounding the ground. But no matter how quickly he moved, he just wasn't fast enough. He needed to gain some speed. Raising up his magic chalk, he quickly began to draw.

In seconds, he launched himself in the air, the rockets attached to his feet giving him lift. He hovered above the ground, now high enough to see ChalkZone City out in front of him. He should be able to get there relatively quickly. Holding his hand over his head, he stared out, trying to see if he can see any sign of his cousin.

It didn't take him long before he saw something large moving through the city. It was too far away to tell what was going on, so he quickly drew himself a telescope. Peering through it, he now able to make out details.

It appeared to be a large ball of scribbles. It was _massive_, and it was rolling through the city. It didn't appear to be crushing any buildings, as if, despite its size, it wasn't as heavy as it appeared. Perhaps it was hollow? Regardless, it was still big enough to hurt an unsuspecting zoner, especially one of the much smaller ones.

Knowing there wasn't much time to get there, Rudy looked down at Snap. "Snap!" Rudy quickly sketched something in the air. A motorcycle fell from the sky and landed not far from Snap. When he saw his friend jump back, Rudy gave a sheepish smile and said, "Whoops... sorry Snap!"

His blue friend immediately grabbed onto the motorcycle and righted it up. It was a rather thin model, but it was made of pretty strong material. It was just the right size for him as well. "No need to say anymore. I'm right behind you!"

Rudy watched, making sure that his friend was able to get onto the motorcycle without problem. Once Snap revved up the machine, the loud engine roaring in the air, Rudy turned his attention to the city before him. Activating the thrusters on his shoe rockets, he made his way towards the city. He hoped he would get there before any irreversable damage could be done.

sss

"Sophie!" Penny cried.

"Come on!" Rapsheeba cupped her hands to her mouth to try to increase the volume of her voice. "Please, come down from there!"

But the little girl didn't listen. Instead, she merely waved at them before giving off a squeal and running along the roof top. She was dangerously close to the edge, her arms spread out as if she were pretending to fly.

All around her and the building, in addition to Penny and Rapsheeba, there were multiple other zoners watching the situation. The zoners were all confused, worried, startled, a mixture of such emotion. Penny could feel it all around her, making her freeze up. She had never felt this wave of intensity of emotion before. Then again, she had never been a part of a group this large before.

None of the zoners around her appeared to be injured, which made her sigh with relief. Any injured zoner that Snap mentioned had probably gone to the hospital to get treated, or just to home to rest. The remaining zoners here had either dodged the large scribble balls or they had seen what was going on and wanted to investigate.

A handful of zoners were rightfully angry. They couldn't understand how Rudy could have let this happen. Penny wanted to defend him, but she had little to go off of. She had no idea where Rudy was, or what he might be doing. She was, therefore, unable to justify why Rudy wasn't showing up. She couldn't exactly blame them for being angry either; after all, if he had been watching his cousin better, this wouldn't have happened. Penny was certain Rudy had some kind of excuse, though, but until he got here and explained himself, all she could do was speculate.

At least there didn't appear to be any major damage. None of the buildings were horribly chipped and none of them were fallen or crushed. And at least Sophie hadn't taken to drawing anything incredibly dangerous.

"Now now...come here, Sophie..." Blocky's voice caught Penny's attention. "Let's go home now..."

The rectangle zoner was on top of the building with Sophie. He had his body hunched forward as he made his way towards her. Step by step, little by little, he inched his way closer to her. Sophie didn't seem to listen to him much, and continued scribbling in the air.

Blocky was being very careful not to startle the girl. He went nice and slow, gesturing with his hands to try to settle her down. His voice was surprisingly calm and in control. He looked clearly frightened, but his actions did not reflect that. Penny took a moment to smile at this. A shame Rudy wasn't here to see this. He would have been proud of Blocky.

"Here, little girl." Blocky smiled the best he could. He moved closer to Sophie, who remained close to the edge of the building. "Don't you want to draw on me?" He pointed a finger to his face. "Remember how much fun it was? You can have some more of that fun." He gestured with his hand. "Just come closer. Get away from that ledge..."

Sophie didn't listen to him. She didn't even spare him a glance. Her attention was on the ledge she was standing on. She peered down, showing no fear of just how high she was off the ground. Her smile stretched further as she raised up the piece of magic chalk she was holding.

In response, Penny held onto what remained of her piece. Her previous attempts of getting Sophie resulted in her nearly using up everything that she had left. She watched the girl, wide-eyed, hoping that Blocky would be able to stop her. There was very little she could draw with just a tiny piece of magic chalk left.

To her horror, Sophie had walked even closer to the edge. Part of her feet stuck out from the ledge itself, and she was balanced precariously over it.

"She's going to fall!"

"Somebody, do something!"

Penny was about to draw when she saw quick movement above her. She looked up and she saw that Blocky had made a swift move. Rushing forward, he managed to grab onto the toddler before she could fall over. He yanked her back and the two of them landed on the roof.

Sighs of relief filled the air, Penny joining in. She put a hand over her chest, feeling her heart race quickly. That was a close one. Now that Blocky had Sophie, he could begin to take her away from the ledge and make his way down. The steps weren't far, she didn't think. He just had to...

Sophie wriggled free out of Blocky's grasp. The force knocked Blocky back. He was able to quickly recover, but before he could try to grab her again, the little girl rushed towards the edge and began to draw swiftly. The scribbles began to accompany the roof, covering much of it. Blocky screamed as he was knocked back, hitting against the other side of the roof.

"_Blocky_!" Rapsheeba cried in horror.

Peny looked at this in shock before turning her gaze to Sophie. She had gotten so close to the edge that she had started to fall down. Her eyes bulging, she screamed, "_No_!"

There was a swift movement of black rushing underneath her. A mass of scribbles, They positioned themselves underneath the little girl and caught her with little effort. The girl was raised above the ground as she let out a few squeals of excitement.

Penny let out a sigh of relief that she was okay. But that was quickly replaced with shock as Sophie was now riding on top of a bizarre creation of hers: a massive scribble figure that towered above them all.

Penny took a step back, staring up at the scribble figure in fear. Around her, she could hear some of the zoners start screaming and run away. She looked over her shoulder, watching them as they went. She then turned her attention to Sophie. She was resting in her creation's hand, pointing in one direction. She could hear her call out some words, though it was a bit hard to tell just what they were from here.

"What are we going to do?" Rapsheeba cried, looking at Penny with wide, worried eyes.

Penny stared in the direction that Sophie was going in. Many thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to figure out something she could do. Then, narrowing her eyes, she looked over at Rapsheeba. "You go check on Blocky. I'm going to see if I can stop Sophie."

"_But Penny_..." Rapsheeba started to say.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Penny said, smiling gently at her friend. Without giving her a chance to respond, Penny turned and bolted.

Thankfully, the large, towering creature was not very fast. It moved incredibly slowly as it tredged through ChalkZone City. Penny didn't take long to catch up to it and she positioned herself in front. She raised her hand up and attempted to halt the little girl.

"_Stop_!" She commanded. To her surprise, Sophie did just that. The creature stopped and the little girl stared down at her curiously. "Let's go home, Sophie. Come on..." She gestured with her hand. "Come with me..."

However, the little girl refused to listen. She shook her head, and then, with a wave of her hand, she had her creation turn in a new direction. The creature picked up the pace this time, and it was harder for Penny to catch up. This time, when she got in front, Sophie refused to stop. Penny was forced to move out of the way to avoid getting trampled. She turned her head and watched as Sophie and her creation moved through the city, brushing up against the buildings, narrowly missing stepping on some zoners.

Penny watched the scene in horror. While she knew that Sophie meant to harm, this was like straight out of a cheap horror movie like that one about giant ants destroying the world. The shere fact that Sophie was just _playing_ made it all the more terrifying. She didn't realize the harm she was doing. And if she wasn't stopped soon...

Penny raised up her magic chalk and, with no other ideas on what to draw, sketched up a pair of rocket shoes. She was not as used to them as Rudy, so she was awkward as she took off into the air. She managed to steady herself long enough to go to where Sophie was. She landed on the creature's hand, now only a few feet away from the little girl.

Penny smiled down gently at Sophie. "Come on. Don't you want to go home?"

Sophie stared at her, and then shook her head. "Want stay here! Play!"

"Come on.. I bet Rudy and your mother miss you. You don't want to worry them, do you?" Penny asked carefully. Sophie stared up at her, wide-eyed, and then she slowly shook her head. "I didn't think so. Come on Sophie..." Penny reached out for the little girl's hand. "Let's go back to the Real World before you worry them sick."

Sophie stared at her hand for a few moments, and then looked up at her face. They locked eyes with each other for a couple of seconds. At first, it looked as if Penny got through to her and Sophie was going to listen.

But instead, something else happened.

"_No_!" Sophie shook her head furiously. "No go home! Want play!"

Penny's eyes widened in shock as the scribble figure began to move even faster. She could hear the ground started to shake slightly underneath. Fear and dread filled her heart as she realized how much harm this could do. She turned her attention to Sophie.

"Please, stop this, Sophie!" Penny cried.

But Sophie wouldn't listen. The girl kept moving through the city, and soon they reached the outside of it. While Penny was glad that no more zoners in there could get hurt, they weren't out of the woods yet. In front of her, she could see a large group of zoners in the distance, _and they were heading straight for them_.

Penny struggled through her mind, trying to think of something to say to stop Sophie. The ony thing she could think of was grabbing her, but what if she struggled? She couldn't risk dropping her from this height. And what of this scribble creature? What if it tried to grab her in the process?

However, before she had much time to really think about her options and what she could do, Penny heard a familiar shout echo in the air.

"_Sophie_!"

Penny and Sophie froze at this voice. Their eyes widened. They knew that voice anywhere. The scribble creature stopped walking as they turned their heads in the direction of the cry. It took them only seconds to see Rudy speeding towards them, rocket flames shooting out from behind him.

Rudy soon hovered in front of the creature. He was at eye level with Sophie. Rudy noticed Penny, but didn't say a word to her. His attention was focused entirely on his little cousin.

"Hey Soph..." Rudy said gently. "Why don't you and I go home? Your mother invited us to watch a movie together. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Penny expected Sophie to be excited to see Rudy. She always ways. But instead, the response she got was completely unexpected. The little girl _cringed away_, and looked at Rudy in fear. Penny blinked her eyes in confusion at this. Had they gotten into a bit of a debacle with each other?

"Aww come on, Soph.." Rudy said gently. He reached out towards his cousin, careful not to get too close. "I'm sorry for frightening you... Please..come back..."

Penny, wanting to help, looked down at Sophie. "Go on, Sophie. It's okay." She didn't know the full extent of what had gone on between them, but that didn't stop Penny from trying her best to help them both out. "He didn't mean it. It's okay..."

Sophie looked from Penny and then to Rudy. Her expression appeared to soften up a little, and some of the fear left her eyes. Rudy smiled at this, and he leaned a little closer to his cousin. His hand was outstretched for her, and he waited calmy for her to start to reach towards him.

Before this could happen, however, there was a loud scream, which startled everyone. Sophie immediately clung to Penny, letting out a yelp of terror. Rudy whirled himself around in the direction of the scream. Penny managed to keep her footing, just barely, and she wrapped her arms around the startled girl.

In the distance, they could see zoners rushing out of ChalkZone City. Loud cracks and creaks were everywhere, and some of the buildings began to topple over. Penny's heart skipped a beat as she and Rudy exchanged terrified looks. Had Sophie accidentally created something large and dangerous during her 'rampage' through ChalkZone City?

They soon saw three of their friends, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky, heading in their direction. They were shouting at them, trying to get their attention. There was a loud crack and something flew through the air. Penny's eyes widened when he saw it was a motorcycle. And it was heading straight for their friends...

Rudy gave a cry of terror before rushing down as fast as he could. Using his magic chalk, he was able to draw a massive trampoline above his friends. It caught the motorcyle and sent it flying in another direction. To Penny's relief, there was no one in that way.

Rudy lowered himself down, hovering a few feet in the air. "Guys! What's going on?!"

"Th-Th-There's a..." Rapsheeba stammered, her eyes widening. "A-A big..." She spread her hands out to emphasize. She tried to speak again, but her tongue was so tied up, she could no longer form coherent sentences.

"We...we have to get out of here..." Blocky said breathlessly. He leaned against Rapsheeba for support. "We're going to be torn to shreds!"

Shock swept through Rudy and Penny's hearts.

"What's going to tear us up?" Penny called out from above.

Snap's eyes widened in shock when he saw how high Penny was. That was short lived when he looked behind him and pointed a round hand at something. "_That_ is!"

To Rudy and Penny's horror, a large, foreboding twister was heading through ChalkZone City. Debris filled it up, making it look dark and sinister in appearance. Zoners were screaming loudly as they tried to get away. Seconds later, it broke out of the city and it was on a collision course with them.

It only took them a moment to know what their next move was going to be.

"_Run_!" Penny screamed.

Immediately, they all took off. They moved as quickly as they could, but the twister was slowly gaining on them...

sss

"What...?" Dr. Von Doktor whispered as he stared at the monitor. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it. "Zis..zis iz impozzible..."

"I assure you, doctor. It's not." Terry's cool voice came from behind him. It was dripping with confidence. "It's completely true. Your equipment isn't broken."

Von's mind had a hard time comprehending this. He tried to speak, but no words would come out. He kept looking from his monitor and to the house before him. He replayed it over and over in his mind. He kept looking around, hoping for some kind of clue or explanation that didn't involve this woman's crazy theories.

But no matter what he did...nothing made sense. He knew of no method that this was possible. No theory in science could account for this. There was only one thing that could make it possible. And it involved the one thing he had hoped he wouldn't be dragged into.

He looked over at Terry. He could see her twisted smile on her face. She had a look of triumph. She knew she had succeeded in showing him evidence. She had shown him something he could not possibly ignore.

Even after he replayed the recording that they had obtained, comparing it to what the tracking monitor had shown, nothing changed. It was exactly how they first saw it. No variable, no change. Just exactly what was recorded. The more he looked at it, the more he realized there was only one explanation. There was only one thing that made sense. And he wished it wasn't so...

His scientific mind was being broken apart little by little. He could feel his body tremble, trying to figure out how this could possible be true. It was so hard for him to comprehend this. He gripped his head tightly, feeling a headache begin to shift through him.

He looked at the house before him, and the monitor. He knew of only one conclusion, and it caused a burning sensation to rise up in side of him as his view on what was possible began to dismantle all around him.

Penny had gone to Rudy's house. The tracker showed she was in Rudy's house. No matter which way he read it, no matter what he thought, that's what had happened. Penny had gone to Rudy's house.._without even showing up on the street_.

Von had thought they merely missed her, but looking at the footage taken, this was quickly shown to be false. Penny was never on the street. She was at her place, and then she began to move...and then she was at Rudy's place. Now she was on the move again, and just like before, no sign of her outside. It was as if she had gone invisible.

"Now do you believe me...?" Terry asked, that smile still stretching across her face. "Do you _still_ think my theory is crackpot?"

Von didn't answer her. He just stared out ahead, shock creeping along his face, making it hard for him to move. As much as he hated to admit it, there was only one explanation for this. The fact that Penny was able to relocate several times near her _without_ being seen suggests that something else was at play. Something that he thought couldn't possibly be true. Something that, the more he thought about it, may explain a lot of things.

_An alternate dimension_...


	8. Sneaks

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 8: Sneaks

_**Never let your enemy see your secret...**_

sss

Terry smirked as she stared down at the chalkboard that she held in her hands. She looked up to make sure Von wasn't looking. He was too busy staring at the building in front of him. Good. This was one detail she could keep away from him, at least for a time.

It wasn't that she wanted to keep a leg up on him. Okay that was part of the reason. But the other, she wasn't entirely sure if her theory was right. This was simply a wild guess that she had for some time. This was a good chance for her to test it out, but..there was the possibility that it won't even be confirmed. Still, it wasn't wasting much time to try it out.

She looked down at the chalkboard, the smudges on it showing some remnants of what she had drawn. A tornado. Large and powerful, an unstoppable force of nature. Perfect for luring the children exactly where she wanted them...provided that it followed the pattern she had laid out for it, or if it will just move mindlessly like a real twister would.

If it did work, then she would have driven the children out of that chalk world faster. And if it caused enough trouble, perhaps that little blue brat, Snap, will come out with them. If she could capture Snap again and bring him to Von's place, that would provide a chance for her to prove to the world that living chalk drawings are real, and very much alive. Snap was going to be her ticket into revealing to everyone the truth of this.

A nasty smile spread across her face. She couldn't wait to get a hold of Snap again. She still hadn't forgiven him with how he helped ruin her reputation. His clownish actics served to humiliate her, and she knew that he must have been the one to alert Rudy to what was going on. Oh how good it was going to feel to finally get her revenge on _him_... She would show all three of these brats just what happens when they mess with her.

But for now, she was going to have to wait. Even if her theory about the inhabitants of the chalk world being erased from this world weren't true, she knew that, sooner or later, they _would_ have to come out. And when they do, they will be here waiting for them.

sss

There was utter chaos everywhere. The sounds of screams filled the air, echoing across the land. Zoners that were unfortunate enough to be in the path screamed and ran away, narrowly missing getting hit. The ground was being shred up and torn apart by the massive twister, and within its bowels, chunks of its past 'victims', such as from various buildings, swirleda round endlessly, ruthlessly.

Rudy tried to keep focus on the task at hand. Due to his flight capabilities with his rocket shoes, he was leading his friends away. Behind him, he could sense the massive drawing his cousin made striding along behind, doing what it could to keep up. Penny, Snap, and Rapsheeba were riding along with Sophie, clutching as tightly as they could so they wouldn't fall off. Rudy wanted to draw something more secure, but the twister was so close, he didn't have time to stop and draw. Not to mention drawing when moving like this was a terrible idea; he'd just end up with extra long lines that formed nothing. He needed to stop, and he couldn't do that yet.

He was relieved to see that there were no more zoners ahead. He was concerned for the ones that got knocked away, either by accident with Sophie's scribble figure, or from the twister coming along behind. He had wanted to stop and check on them, but no time for that now. He made a note to find them as soon as he was able to.

Rudy looked out ahead, trying to find some way of losing the twister. Something that could slow it down. But out in front of them, nothing but empty plains of grass. Not even a tree grew in this direction. He could keep running, but then he would eventually come to another zoner settlement. Even though he knew the twister was mindless and just following a random path, just like any other, he still would feel guilty about 'leading' the thing into another place where zoners lived.

He realized this may not be a problem. A lot of twisters in ChalkZone never lasted that long. Like their Real World counterparts, they would eventually run out of fuel and die. They would leave a lot of destruction in their wake, but at least it would be short-lived and over before they knew it.

This tornado was lasting a little longer than he thought it would. Then again, it was probably just the way he percieved it. Time had slowed down all around him, and the seconds soon transformed into minutes, and the minutes into hours. He had no idea how long this was going to last, and all he could do was lead his friends along the safest path he could find while hopefully dodging the twister.

Rudy wasn't even entirely sure where he was anymore. The area around him, despite the fact that he had been here a lot, suddenly looked foreign. His frantic mind hardly registered what was around him, showing enough information to just barely get by. Everything became a swirling mess of color, and a chorus of sounds, and he was caught up in the middle of it.

Suddenly, as he continued on his way, he heard a loud scream behind him.

"_Rudy! Up ahead_!"

Rudy lifted up his head to see what his friend were talking about. His eyes bulged open when he saw that they were headed straight towards a mountain. A large, massive mountain, and they were almost upon it. Frantically kicking his feet back, Rudy turned, veering off in a different direction. He stoppped and looked behind him. He was relieved to see the scribble figure make the turn, pushing itself off the mountain with a free limb and then moving towards him.

Rudy spent a couple seconds wondering jut when that mountain got there. He didn't recall it being there before. It must have just gotten erased. It was quite possible that it was erased just moments ago and appeared before they had a chance to realize the landscape changed.

He pushed the thoughts aside when he saw the twister. He thought that, since they had turned, the twister would go by them. It was in a direct collision course with the mountain. He and his friends would still need to dodge as chunks of rock would be tossed everywhere. But at least the twister might be stopped. Hitting the rock may divert enough of its energy away. Just a guess. He wasn't a whiz at science like Penny was.

He glanced down at his friends, seeing how terrified they were, and Sophie as well. Rudy felt his stomach twist in knots. He felt that this whole mess could have been avoided if he had just handled his situation better. Though nothing he did could have stopped this twister...

He glared at it as it came closer. In seconds, it was going to strike the mountain. Though it wasn't alive, Rudy still felt a level of contempt towards such a creation. He couldn't understand why anyone would draw something this destructive... Of course, he couldn't necessarily blame anyone for it either. After all, no one but him and Penny knew about ChalkZone's existence.

"It's...it's _turning_!" Snap's panicked voice cut through the air, breaking Rudy out of his thoughts. "It's coming back towards us!"

"This is illogical! It shouldn't be able to turn that fast!" Raphseeba's voice was terror-filled.

"Well technically, tornadoes in the Real World are known to change their course..." Penny's voice trailed off as she stared at the twister, which had veered away from the mountain and was coming towards them. "Nevermind that now. _Run_!"

Rudy immediately activated the thrusters on his shoes and moved away from the tornado, going out further in front of his friends. He gestured with his hands frantically, trying to get them to move faster.

The scribble figure struggled to pick up the pace. After standing for so long, the creature had a hard time moving fast in such a short amount of time. He could hear his cousin and his friends shouting at it to move faster, shere terror laced in their voices. The scribble figure began to move faster, its feet pounding the ground, the loud scribbles making a squeaking sound, perhaps its way of screaming in fear.

To Rudy's horror, the twister had not only veered away, but it somehow began to move _faster_. A realization dawned on him, and it made his blood turn to ice at the shere thought. What if someone..._intended for this to happen_? What if someone...wanted this thing to chase them? No, that was nonsense. He shook the thought out of his head. That did little to alleviate the horror of what he saw happen next.

The scribble creature couldn't keep up the pace. It had been standing around so long, it barely had any time to speed up. The twister was moving faster now. It was no contest. In seconds, its swirling vortex touched down on the scribble figure, and the squeaks from before became louder, more high pitched.

"_Guys_!" Rudy shrieked as he witnessed the twister collide with the scribble figure, a loud clang sounding out. He reached his hand out towards them, his body wracking with horror. "_No! Please_!"

The twister began to rip apart the scribble figure with ease. The limbs were quickly torn off as if it was just paper. His friends' screams echoed in the air, intermixing with the roar of the twister. Time seemed to slow down as the scribble figure began to topple over. The scribbles began to wriggle around in multiple directions, giving the illusion of a swarm of bees trying to defend their home. The scribbles appeared to try to do just that, only to get sucked up by the twister itself.

Rudy stared in horror as the scribble figure was now down on its knees, a loud boom sounding out as what qualified as its knee banged up against the ground heavily. It clutched onto his friends tightly as if to protect them. He could see his friends screaming in fear, shouting at the figure to get away. Without hesitation, Rudy dove down towards it.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the twister strike further against it, ripping off the legs completely and forcing the scribble figure into the ground. His friends were buried underneath the mess. Their screams faded away as the pile of scribbles covered them, and in seconds, he could no longer see them.

He stared in horror at what had just happened. The twister was still there, having suddenly slowed down, yet losing none of its power somehow. The realization that this thing was activately trying to get them was not lost on him, but at the moment, he didn't pay attention. He stared down at the rubble where his friends were now trapped. He took in a few quick breaths, shaking his head in denial.

_No...please..no_...

Rudy dove down towards the mess, ignoring the tornado entirely. When he reached the pile, he began to look around. He flew around in circles as he surveyed the damage. He looked at every corner he could find, peering through any gap he could see. All he was able to see was a twisted mangle of scribble mess. He couldn't see his friends anywhere. After a few moments, he stopped, hoving not far from the pile, staring on as realization struck him.

Tears began to form in his eyes. _Oh gawd no_... Please... It couldn't be true. Please, don't let it be true... His friends couldn't be... Sophie wasn't.. He shook his head slowly, feeling his heart being ripped into two. His friends might be..._no_...

The horror that grew in his stomach soon transformed into bitter hatred. Realizing that he may have just lost his friends and a family member, Rudy shot an intense glare at the twister. He knew now, without a doubt, this was a purposeful act. This twister was evil, and he had to do something about it. He will not allow it to get away with hurting anyone else. He raised up his magic chalk, glaring daggers at it. The twister appeared to almost look at him, despite having no eyes. With a sneer spread across his face, Rudy made a declaration.

"_Hey_! Why don't you try _me_ on for size?" Rudy taunted, gesturing to himself. "_Come on_! Are you afraid?!"

The twister almost seemed to hear him. It began to pick up the pace and it went off after him. Rudy smirked at this, knowing that he now had the twister's attention. He raised up his magic chalk in preparation for a battle.

If it was a fight that this thing wanted, it was a fight it was going to get.

sss

Penny screamed as the debris of the creature fell down all around her. She raisd up her hands and covered herself up. She flinched as she felt the small scribbles hit against her, each time stinging as if they were bees. In the midst of this, she opened up one eye and looked over at the others.

She could see Sophie just fine. She was curled up on the ground, her frightened eyes darting left and right. They locked eyes with each other, and though neither spoke, there was a silent pleading in Sophie's eyes, begging Penny to come help her. Struggling against the mass all around her, Penny began to make her way towards the girl. She outstretched her hand for her, trying to grab onto her.

There was a loud cracking sound, and the 'roof' above them began to plummet down towards them. Penny's eyes bulged in horror at this. She tried to quicken her pace to get to Sophie, especially when she heard the little girl scream in terror, but the thickness of the scribbles prevented her from reaching the girl. Her foot got caught on a raised lump of scribbles and she tripped forward. She let out a yelp as her face smashed against the jagged parts of other scribbles. She raised her cut up face, ignoring the blood that dripped down from the scratches, and looked at where Sophie was.

"_Sophie_!" Penny screamed as she struggled to get over. Her heart froze when she realized that she was not going to make it on time. She stared into Sophie's eyes, and her own shined with an apology.

Suddenly, she heard a shout and then there was a flash of green. Penny snapped her head back in surprise when she saw Blocky and Sophie laying a few feet away from where the scribble debris crumbled down. Sophie was against the ground, quaking in fear. Blocky laid himself across her. There was a bit of scratches on him, indicating that he had gotten hit. He ignored whatever pain he was in and kept himself crouched over Sophie.

"It's okay, Sophie. You're fine..." Blocky whispered to her calmly. Sophie's whimpers could be heard, intermixing with the rectangular zoner's attempts at soothing her. "Shh...it's all right."

Penny watched as Blocky did what he could to settle down the frightened child. Eventually, Sophie looked up at him and hugged him tightly, causing Blocky to grunt. Penny smiled at this, feeling relief that the paper-like zoner was able to keep Sophie safe.

Realizing that she still couldn't see Rapsheeba or Snap, Penny's heart started to speed up. She turned her head left to right, trying to find where they could've gotten to. Her shifting eyes couldn't see them anywhere. There was just too much debris in the way, obscuring her view. She tried to move forward, tried to see if she could get another vantage point, but she kept tripping over the debris at her feet. She helped as some of the sharp edges pointed against her skin, scratching them, leaving behind shallow, red lines.

Although she wanted to continue trying to find Snap and Rapsheeba, she knew that she had to get out of here. She turned her attention to the only others that she could find. Blocky and Sophie weren't going to last long here. She didn't know how much longer this thing was going to be able to hold up.

She looked down at her piece of magic chalk. There was still some left. She still had a way out of here. But what could she draw that would be small enough to get them out of here? She had to think of something and fast.

Suddenly, there was a loud creak and Penny could see the 'ceiling' start to collapse. She heard Blocky and Sophie scream as the pieces began to fall towards them. They wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. Penny, with only seconds to spare, reacted on instinct. She whipped out what remained of her magic chalk and quickly began to draw.

Although Penny had made a similar vow to Rudy and not draw anything actually alive, in the desperate situation that she found herself placed in, she realized she really had no choice. Before she knew it, she had drawn something alive, something swift, something that could get them out of this mess.

The cassowary she drew squawked at her, outstretching its smell wings, the blue standing out well even in the darkness of the black scribbles. She immediately climbed onto its back and pointed forward, to where Sophie and Blocky were laying. The bird needed no further prompt and rushed forward.

Penny gasped in horror when a large chunk of scribbles was getting close to hitting the two. Blocky and Sophie noticed this and screamed. Blocky kept the girl covered underneath him, providing a shield to try to protect her. Despite admiring him for his courage, Penny knew that Blocky's body shield was not going to last very long. She and the cassowary hurried, moving as fast as they could.

Before the debris could strike them, the cassowary pulled its head back and struck forward. The large, thick crest on its head made quick work of the scribble chunks, cracking them into smaller pieces with ease. The bits fell everywhere, landing at their feet. Blocky, daring to look, turned his head up.

"Penny! I'm so glad to see you!" Blocky said with a smile.

"Come on!" Penny lowered herself down. She reached her hand out towards the rectangular zoner. "Take my hand!"

Blocky reached up as far as his stubby little arm could, keeping the other wrapped around Sophie, keeping her pressed against him. Once Penny was able to grab onto him, she pulled him and Sophie up onto the cassowary. She placed them behind her and instructed Blocky to allow Sophie to get up front. She then told Sophie to hold onto her waist and Blocky likewise, keeping the little girl pressed between them.

Penny took a moment to look around. Even with a higher vantage point, she still couldn't see any sign of Snap or Rapsheeba. Her heart twisted at the thought of them being buried underneath somewhere, possibly injured, crushed underneath all this debris.

But she couldn't stay. Everything was falling apart all around them. The twister's wind was still pushing up against them. She couldn't tell if the winds themselves were weakening or not, but at this point, it didn't matter. At the moment, they had to get out of there before they all ended up completely buried for good. She did not want this to be her grave site. With a gentle pat on the side of the bird, they took off.

The cassowary darted forward. It moved its body around as it navigated through the debris and the stuff on the ground. Its feet crushed even the sharp tips of the scribbles, its legs and toes having incredibly thick skin. The bird was incredibly nimble, able to dodge through almost anything. Even in the most twisting and gnarled parts, the bird still managed to navigate it like it was nothing, running through, under, and over whatever stood in its way. With its speed, they managed to avoid any of the falling debris above them, and the bird's dodging skills were like nothing she had ever seen before.

Soon, out in front of her, she could see an opening. Small, but large enough for light to shine through, illuminating the area around her a little. She barked a desperate order to the cassowary, and the animal sped up.

Penny lowerd herself, instructing the others to do the same. She wrapped her arms around the neck of her cassowary, feeling pressure on her back as Sophie and Blocky held onto her. She pressed her legs against the bird's side to get more leverage. She clenched her teeth as they got closer to the opening.

"Penny, I...I don't know if we're going to make it!" Blocky shouted, his voice filled with panic. "Everything is falling down _too fast_!"

"Want go home... Want to go home!" Sophie cried, her shivering body pressing more firmly against Penny.

"Don't worry... We're going to be fine." Penny said, trying her best to sound as confident as she could.

Blocky wasn't entirely convinced. "How can you be so sure? What if..."

Penny looked over her shoulder, staring at Blocky. "Don't worry." She said, using the most firm voice that she could. "We'll make it. You'll see."

Though her confidence was enough to satisfy Blocky and Sophie, helping them calm down a little, Penny wished it had the same effect on her. In truth, she had no idea if they would make it or not. The debris kept falling faster. She winced as some of them hit her, and she could hear Blocky and Sophie react to getting hit as well. She didn't know if luck was going to be on their side or not. All she could do was cross her fingers and hope for the best.

Soon they reached it. She felt the bird's muscles tense up, its body preparing for a leap. She shut her eyes, not daring to look. She waited, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they could make it.

Penny became aware of a loud crash, something heavy hitting against her, loud yelps of pain, a bright flash of light, and then the ground connecting with her face. Penny's body flopped around, doing wild somersaults across a rough, dirty surface. She could hear thuds all around her, and some more screams, a loud squawk. Soon she became still and laid down, for a few seconds, being so disoriented that she wasn't even aware of being face up or face down.

Slowly, Penny opened up her eyes, the buzzing in her ears finally settling down. Her blurred vision only lasted a few seconds before the imagery of what was around her came into focus. She realized she was laying on her side, the left part of her face pressing against the ground. Groaning, she pushed herself up from the ground, holding herself upright with one arm. She took a look around her.

She could see Sophie and Blocky laying on the ground not far from her. They had collapsed, laying prone as if knocked unconscious. Only a few movements, and Sophie raising her head confirmed that they were still awake. Not far, she could see the bird on the ground, its legs sprawled out at its sides. Its head wobbled from side to side before it shook it and let out a squawk.

Penny realized that they were out in the open. They had managed to get out. The debris pile they were trapped under lay shattered not far from them. She stared at it, taking in a few deep breaths as she realized the magnitude of this. They...they made it...

A smile tugged on her face. A wave of relief struck her so hard that she almost keeled over. She turned to smile at Sophie, Blocky, and the bird. Sophie was still too shaken up, but Blocky looked positively elated.

But their celebration didn't last very long. She realized they still had no idea where Rapsheeba or Snap were. She looked left and right, trying to find any sign of them, anyway of knowing that they were all right. She couldn't see any sign of them at first, and she could feel her heart pounding against her chest at this realization.

What happened to her friends? Where were they? Were they hurt? Were they crushed? Had they been..._killed_...?

That last thought made her blood turn to ice. That scared her the most was that...it was a very real possibility. The destructive force of that tornado, it coud have very easily...

She shook her head. No..she refused to believe it. Her friends were fine. They just had to be. They just..needed to look harder. Slowly, she climbed up to her feet and looked around. The tornado was moving away; the vibrations in the ground decreasing. She no longer had to worry about it. Right now, she directed her attention to finding her friends.

"Snap? Rapsheeba?" Penny called out. She cupped her hands to her mouth, and shouted as loud as she could. "Where are you?"

She was soon joined in by Blocky. The zoner remained stationary, holding onto Sophie, and kept shouting as loud as he could. "Come on out, you guys! If you are here and if you can hear our voices, shout!"

"We need to get out of here! Hurry!" Penny shouted, raising her voice as high as it would go.

"Rudy might need our help!" Blocky cried loudly. "And we need to get this little girl back into the Real World!"

Penny and Blocky's voices filled the air, pleading, shouting, trying to get some kind of response. Their choir of calls went unanswered, however. No matter how many times they shouted and cried, no matter how many times they called out to their friends, there was no response. They kept trying, though. Oh how they tried. They raised their voices. They called out as loudly as they could. They looked left and right, looking for any sign of movement.

Soon, their voices began to die down when they noticed that no one was shouting back. They heard no kind of reply. There was no movements that they could find. No pile on the ground indicative of them. Just silence and nothingness. They stopped shouting alogether and exchanged a look of horror with each other. Had their worst fears become a reality? Had Snap and Rapsheeba...?

Just then, before Penny had time to consider what might have happened, she noticed something in the distance. There were a row of trees and bushes here, connecting to the beginning of a small forest. It was smaller and less elaborate than the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. It looked relatively new, like it was just erased a few days ago.

It took Penny a moment to realize that there was something wrong with the branches of the trees. They looked...bent, a little broken. As if something were weighing them down, like something crashed into it or...

...or someone collided with the tree...

Snapping her eyes wide open, Penny's body stiffened for a few seconds. The revelation of what may have happened struck her, making her shiver once. She cast a glance over to Blocky. She would have called him out to follow her, but Sophie still looked scared. So instead, she decided to head off on her own.

"Blocky, stay with Sophie." Penny said as she began to head towards the tree.

"What are you doing?" Blocky asked. Sophie cuddled closer to him, her body shaking so much it was making Blocky move along with her. "Do you think that..."

"Yes." Penny said in determination. "I think Rapsheeba and Snap are here."

Penny approached the tree slowly, keeping an eye on it. She scanned it up and down, looking for any sign of movement or something being off other than the branches being bent down awkwardly. She walked around it slowly, her eyes trailing up every detail of the tree, taking in the information.

It didn't take her long to see the source of the branch's bending. There was something indeed weighing it down. Or rather, someone. Upon seeing the familiar color of blue, Penny knew right away who this was.

"Snap?" Penny called out. Her friend didn't respond. Her heart raced. "Snap?" She tried again, this time in a louder voice.

When her friend didn't respond to her calls, she immediately started to climb up the tree. Thankfully there were some strong low branches, allowing her to get a footing. She pushed herself up, her eyes glued on the still form that she knew was her friend. As she gained altitude, she took notice of his eyes being shut. Her friend had been knocked unconscious.

Realizing this, Penny knew she had to get a hold of him so she could assess the damage. If he had been flung out by the twister, which she knew was a possibility, it was likely that the blow he suffered to his head, if that was indeed what had happened, cracked his skull. Even just a hairline fracture was enough to warrant a trip to the hospital.

Through some difficulty, Penny managed to get a hold of her friend. She pulled him out of the tree carefully. Holding him as tightly as she could with one arm slung around him, she used her other, as well as her feet, to navigate down the tree. Once she reached the floor, she set Snap on the ground. She pressed his back against the tree and knelt down in front of him. She began to examine him quickly.

He was covered in small bruises and cuts. Most of them weren't that bad, and even the deepest ones could be patched up without needing to go to the hospital for treatment. She looked along his head to see if there was any sign of damage. She lightly touched it, careful not to apply pressure, knowing that she could screw things up if she wasn't careful. Her fingers soon touched something. A bump, a rather large one. She bit her lip at this. Her suspicions were confirmed. A blow to her friend had knocked him out.

She had no idea what the extent of the damage was, or if it was worse than it appeared, or what symptoms her friend was going to suffer. She had to get him to the hospital as soon as possible. But she was out of magic chalk and ChalkZone City was quite a distance away. She didn't think she could carry him very well for long, and she might accidentally drop him. If she could just find someone to help...

There was her bird. The cassowary. It might be able to take Snap to ChalkZone City, or at least to another zoner large and strong enough to carry him, like Lars the polar bear.

Suddenly a question hit her practically in the face. If Snap was here then..._Where was Rapsheeba_? What happened to her?

Penny's eyes darted around as she tried to find the zoner. She had to be around here somewhere. She looked up the tree, turning her head left and right. She wasn't there. This realization made her shiver. Oh no...what if she was flung further away..?

Penny looked out into the forest. In the distance, she could see remnants of bush pieces. Leaves and tiny branches on the ground. She sucked in a sharp breath when she realized Rapsheeba must have crashed through this tree and then hit against the hard ground a good distance away. She might be hurt worse than Snap. She glanced at Snap for a few seconds. She didn't want to leave him...but she had to get Rapsheeba over here.

Giving one last look at Snap, Penny turned her head towards where she knew Rapsheeba was. Narrowing her eyes, she immediately rushed forward. She hoped that Rapsheeba wasn't hurt as much as she thought she was.

sss

Rudy wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. He was grateful that he was up in the air for this, most of the power being generated from his rocket shoes. However, he was still running out of breath, feeling his heart pounding and lungs burning. The mere act of dodging took a lot of energy, altering his course so he couldn't hit up against anything.

The tornado behind him was gaining on him, getting much closer. He was going as fast as he could at this point. He knew that he wouldn't be able to put any more distance, and with the twister slowly approaching, it was just a matter of time before he'd get sucked into it.

He navigated the jungle he came upon. The Empty Jungle as some of the zoners taken to calling it. It was similar to Mumbo Jumbo Jungle, except there were no zoners living here. Everything in it was toxic, even the air. At least to zoners, not so to him or something inanimate. It made for the perfect location to try to stop the twister. Well almost perfect; the trees were slowing him down, making it hard for him to concentrate on anything except getting out of the way fast.

He looked left and right, feeling a cold shudder go up his spine. Even the very appearance of this place was hostile. Dark and light greys, along with some blacks intermixing, a bit of eerie, crimson fog, and glowing swamp-like plants, the white looking so foreboding that any black, dark area looked welcome. There were pools of crimson all over the place, and with the steam rising up, he knew that they burned. Whoever designed this place must really like the whole monochrome and red equaling danger. He wasn't sure what would possess anyone to draw such a place, but at the moment, that didn't matter.

He looked behind him for a split second. He could see the twister ripping up the place. None of the trees stood a chance in stopping it. Soon, he was going to run out of forest, and he'd be back in the open. He would have nothing left to slow down the twister.

He suddenly heard a loud hiss, like steam rising. He whipped his head over and saw that something was moving out of one of the cracked trees. A mist of black and red... His eyes bulged open in horror. He didn't know what it was, but he had a suspicion that if that into the rest of ChalkZone, many zoners would fall ill or even die.

With this in mind, he had to figure out a way to stop the twister while not allowing any of the mist to get out. But how was he going to do that? He couldn't very well just fly to each one and seal it up. It would take too long, and it would provide an opportunity for the twister to strike. He needed a way to stop it all before it got that far. Something to completely stop both the gas and the twister.

His eyes bulged open. He looked down at his piece of magic chalk. Still some left. Would it be enough? There was only one way to find out.

He looked behind him to make sure the twister was still there. When he saw that it was, he raised his chalk and began to make his move. He whipped around, which seemed to startle the twister as it stopped for a brief second. Rudy glared at it in determination as he pressed the chalk against the air and began to draw.

Lines rapidly formed in the air, curving and bending as Rudy kept it up. He flew around the tornado, avoiding its attacks. Around and around he went, the lines rapidly forming something thick and strong.

Then when he was finished, he flew back. He looked at his handiwork. For a split second he could see the outline of what he just draw. Lines that curved around and connected with one another. A cylinder shape. Then it solidified in a flash, a dull grey creeping up rapidly to fill in the void. In seconds, the twister was sealed in a thick structure, preventing it from escaping.

Rudy winced when he saw that a mild crack was already starting to form. He had to get going on drawing the second portion. He would make sure to construct it out of the thickest and strongest material that he knew of: diamond. He wasn't sure how long it would hold, but at least the tornado would be stopped long enough for him to discuss a permanent solution with Penny.

Rudy went to work constructing the large shield. Thankfully, The Empty Forest wasn't terribly huge compared to Mumbo Jumbo Jungle, and there were no zoners that came here anyway.

He zipped around the edge of the forest, distinctly marked by the black and white glow and misty stuff. He first drew a line around the bottom, completely encircling it. He then went to different locations to draw arching lines, rising straight up and then curving towards the center. He looked at his chalk, his eyes widening when he realized he was almost out. He quickly finished up and drew the top portion, letting all the lines connect. He moved away from it as it solidified, sealing the tornado, and the poisonous gas, inside.

Rudy looked at the structure noting all its curves and the light shining off of it. It did look like, almost, an upside down diamond. He couldn't even hear the tornado inside of it. He let out a sigh of relief, realizing that the threat had passed. Even the ground had a layer of diamond so it could not escape there either.

But his relief was short-lived. He might have taken care of the twister, but he still didn't know if his friends were okay. He turned himself around and put a hand over his head. He looked around, trying to see if he could find where they were. He had gone so far, he kind of gotten lost.

He soon saw, in the very distance, very hard to tell from where he was, what looked to be a portal opening. Activating the thrusters on his rocket shoes, he sped off towards that location.

Along the way, Rudy surveyed the damage that was left by the tornado. He could see an indention in the ground where dirt and grass were kicked up. It looked almost like a long, winding scar, curving from side to side. He winced at it, seeing just how deep it really was. He couldn't imagine just how much damage this thing could have caused if it struck a small settlement or a house.

He pushed the unnerving thoughts aside as he scanned the land for any sign of his friends. They had to be around here somewhere. He looked left and right, gritting his teeth. He could see more areas of destruction. Some trees that were leveled. Some rocks that were split in two. More scarring of the land. But so far, his friends were nowhere in sight. His heart clenched tightly.

Where were they?

He stopped in front of the portal as soon as he reached it. He hovered in front of it. He turned his head from one side to the other. His pupils scanned the land, desperately searching for anything that could help him. But so far, there was nothing. Nada, zilch.

The longer he didn't see anything, the quicker his heart raced. Where were they? Where were his friends? They were trapped underneath a pile, but..where was it? He thought that if he came here, he would see the pile, or at least signs of his friends if they had gotten out. But he saw nothing. It was almost as if the pile didn't exist anymore. Or maybe he was just in the right location to see it. Maybe the scribbles got spread out so it'd be harder to detect.

Rudy rose up higher into the air. He got out the telescope he drew before and put the tip towards his eye. He scanned the horizon slowly, looking for any sign of the scribble figure his cousin drew. It was around here somewhere. If he could just look hard enough, he would...

_Aha_..there it was. Off in the distance, he could see remnants of the scribble figure. Judging from how many there were, and how far they were spread, he realized that was where it had fallen down. His friends must be in that direction. Shifting himself in that direction, he zipped as quickly as he could over in that direction.

When he reached the pile, he lowered himself down and began to inspect it. He winced at how jagged and rough the area looked. Even areas with just a small layer looked dangerous to stand on. The figure looked rather flat compared to how it used to be when it was walking around. There was still plenty of room for his friends to stand if they were trapped. But upon closer inspection, he noticed something that made his heart sink.

Parts of the figure had collapsed in. Large portions at that. He could still hear cracks and creaks, and he could see areas of the 'ceiling' still falling down. If his friends were trapped inside...they were swiss cheese by now...

Rudy stared at the structure in horror, feeling his heart twist. He shook his head in denial. No...they couldn't be.. Maybe they got out... Rudy tried to shake off the chilling feelings as he tried to look for any sign of his friends, any sign that they might be alive.

Just when he was about to give up and look elsewhere, he noticed something. He wasn't sure how he missed it before. A large opening, like it had been torn apart by great force. He flew closer to it and examined it. The way the scribble pieces being outward... Something from the _inside_ must have...

Rudy whipped his head around to the debris that laid before him. The way they were scattered, it had been from whatever had jumped out. And he knew of only a few that had been in there when it fell. That meant that his friends must have... His heart filling with elation, with renewed vigor, Rudy began to do another search of the area.

That was when he noticed something laying on the ground. A mass of feathers. Prone, still. Rudy flew down towards it. It looked to be a bird of some kind. The animal was unconscious, but didn't appear to be too badly hurt. It must have been knocked unconscious when it launched itself out. The scribbles were quite strong, and despite how they look, it would have taken a lot of force to break through. With a pang of sympathy, he gently touched the top of its head.

Upon closer inspection, he realized there was something familiar about this drawing. The style of it...it reminded him so much of Courtney.

His eyes widened as he realized that Penny must have drawn another bird to help them escape. Here was the bird. But where were they? Did they manage to hang on? Were they tossed about? Were they injured? Rudy turned his head left and right, trying to see if he could find anyone else here besides this bird.

He then saw something that he almost missed entirely. He could see why; the green form blended in so well with the grass, and the dirt on the skin helped make it blend in even more. Rudy moved his eyes to trace along the edge, and he took in a gasp of air when he recognized who this figure was.

"Blocky!"

Rudy landed on the ground, his rocket shoes instantly turning off, and he rushed over to his friend, his feet pounding the ground. As soon as he reached the form he knew was his friend, he knelt down and reached over towards him. He gently shook his friend to see if he was okay.

Blocky let out a soft groan and he lifted up his head. "I'm fine, I..." Upon seeing Rudy, his eyes brightened. "Rudy! You're okay!"

"Yeah, Blocky. I am..." Rudy surveyed his friend's body real quick and was thankful that he didn't seem to have any major injuries on him. "Where are the others?"

At this, Blocky raised himself up further. Rudy quickly realized that Blocky had been holding onto something, or rather someone. When the green zoner moved himself away enough, Rudy could see just who that was.

Rudy couldn't stifle the sigh of relief from escaping his mouth when he saw Sophie laying there. She clutched the zoner tightly, her small form shivering in fear. She didn't appear to notice Rudy standing there. Her face was buried against Blocky's chest as she sought out his comfort. Seeing this broke Rudy's heart. Poor thing must have been terrified to death. It made him wonder exactly how all this had happened, and what it must have been like for his friends...

At this realization, he shot his head up and looked around frantically. "Blocky, where's Penny, Snap, and Rapsheeba...?"

Blocky took a moment to turn his head in one direction. Rudy realized that he must have been pointing; his arms were too busy hugging his little cousin. "Rapsheeba and Snap were flung that way. Penny went to find them."

Rudy felt his heart tighten. He was glad that Penny was okay, at least enough to be able to do some searching around. But Snap and Rapsheeba being tossed around like that? He hoped they were okay. He may not be an expert on medical things like Penny, but he was well aware that being thrown like that against trees or the ground could lead to some pretty nasty injuries.

Rudy glanced over at Blocky and Sophie for a few seconds. He hated to just leave them there, but he had to find his remaining friends. The tornado was gone, so they no longer had to worry about that. He knew that Blocky and his cousin were going to be fine.

Before Rudy could get far, he could hear his green, rectangular friend calling out to him.

"_Wait_! What about the tornado?" Blocky's fear-filled voice asked. Upon this, Sophie let out a whimper.

Rudy paused. "Don't worry. I took care of it.

He would have stayed to elaborate. Blocky's confused cries desperately tried to get his attention. Rudy would explain later. Right now, his heart pounding, he had to find his friends and make sure that they were okay. Without a word, he reactivated his rocket shoes and flew off into the forest.

sss

"Yeowch!" Rapsheeba hissed.

Penny immediately froze. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." Rapsheeba nodded her head. "I'm fine. Just..keep it up. Might as well get this over with now."

Penny paused for a moment, reluctant to continue. She glanced over at Snap, who stood beside her with a few bandages of his own. He nodded her head, silently encouraging her to continue. Penny, realizing she had to do this, proceeded, gently pressing the cloth of liquid disinfectant against Rapsheeba's cut.

She noticed how Snap wasn't standing up straight very well. Such a thing did not surprise her, nor how he wobbled from side to side a little. Occassionally, he would grab onto his head, only to hiss and pull it away. Her friend was showing clear signs of effects from being knocked in the head like that. He might be awake now, but that didn't mean he was out of the woods yet. His disorientation and unwillingness to speak spoke volumes about this.

Penny was glad that she was able to find them both. Rapsheeba was harder to locate. Snap, when he woke up, had limped towards her and used his hand to point. He must have seen which direction she had flung, and he was able to find her faster than she ever could.

Rapsheeba was on the ground next to a tree. A small trail of blood revealed that she was hurt. Penny had rushed to her side to see just how bad off she was. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought, with the worst injury being a deep gash on her arm. Rapsheeba hadn't even been knocked unconscious like Snap was. Penny treated Snap first to take care of his more minor injuries and then proceeded to take care of Rapsheeba.

After a short time, she was able to finish wrapping the zoner's arm in the cloth, covering it up to protect it. Rapsheeba pulled her arm back to herself. She turned it this way and that, examining it. She then looked over at Penny, giving her a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Penny." Rapsheeba said.

Penny smiled. "No problem." Penny noted to herself how lucky she was that she had medical supplies with her. Not a lot, which made it easier for her to forget she had them. There was enough for small wounds, and she used the last of it on Rapsheeba. "Now, we needed to get to the hospital. You both need some work."

"B-But I'm...I'm fine...really..." Snap's slurred voice spoke. Penny looked behind her and her eyes widened as Snap leaned against a tree trunk for support. "Just...need..rest..."

"Snap, my man!" Rapsheeba cried in horror. She reached out with her good arm as if she wanted to grab onto the blue boy and support him. "You're not okay! You need help!"

"N-No..." Snap waved his hand in dismissal. "I'm...okay..I.." Snap started to slump down further, his legs giving out underneath him.

Penny reached over and grabbed onto his arm. She let him lean against her for support. She frowned at him with concern. "No, you're not fine. We need to get you to the hospital. You were hit pretty badly."

Although Snap continued to protest that he was okay, he did not try to get away from her and let her hold onto his arm. Penny narrowed her eyes at this. Snap must _really_ be disoriented if he thinks he was okay. He might not be fully aware of the pain he was in, or what had just happened. He was aware enough to show her where Rapsheeba landed, but...he was still not quite there... He needed help and fast.

But how was she going to get him to the hospital fast enough? She could walk, but..that would take forever. She needed a better way of getting him there. If she had some magic chalk, she could draw something. But she used the last of it up already and now she had no means of creating something for her to transport her friend.

Oh what was she going to do...?

"Penny!" A voice called out. Penny looked left and right. "Penny, I'm coming!"

Penny turned her head to look over her shoulder. The voice was coming from that way. It sounded faint at first, but it rapidly raised in volume. Her eyes widened when she saw Rudy speeding towards her, flames from his rocket shoes spilling out behind him.

Many emotions swelled in Penny's chest, most noticebly happiness. Rudy...he had _survived_ the twister... She had been so worried about him. She didn't know if he'd made it. She didn't see him out there earlier, and knowing that the twister must have given chase... It left her with a sickening feeling in her stomach.

But here he was. Alive and well. He didn't appear to be injured, and even when he landed in front of her, she still couldn't see anything aside from a few small scrapes. He had made it. She wasn't sure how, but he had made it.

Penny stared at him for just a few seconds before cracking a wide smile, her face practically glowing in positive emotion. "Rudy...you made it..." She breathed. "How did you stop the tornado?"

Rudy said, "I'll explain later. How are all of you? You guys okay?"

"I'm fine." Penny said quickly. "Not too worse for wear." She looked over at Rapsheeba. "She's okay, too. Mostly minor. I did find one deep gash but it's taken care of."

Rudy gave a relieved smile at this. Upon looking at Snap, however, his expression changed. He appeared to notice how uneasy Snap was on his feet. Rudy bit his lip, his face etching with a deep look of concern. "And...what about Snap...?" He turned his attention to Penny. "How...how is he...?"

Penny paused for a moment. She hated having to give him bad news. She had no choice, however. Lying would not help Snap get better any quicker. "Well..." She sucked in a shaky breath. She stared into Rudy's worried eyes. "This is what happened...

sss

Dr. Von Doktor continued to be amazed and almost horrified by what laid before him. The seconds and minutes passed by slowly, and he became almost fully unaware of what was going on around him. His mind was focused intently on the red dot in front of him, moving about, yet there being no signs of the girl anywhere.

It was incomprehensible. It was inconcievable... All this time, there was a doorway to another world. An alternate dimension. This girl, she had gone in there. She was moving around. It was clear as day. He could see the movement, and yet Penny was nowhere in sight. Even if Penny had found out and removed the device, that did not explain why the tracker said there was movement where there was none.

He was still trying to recover from the full impact of the discovery. He could feel his legs trembling violently. He was glad that he was not standing up for this. He didn't think he would be able to for long without falling down. Not like this. Not right now.

He didn't dare look back at Terry. At the moment, he didn't want to see her smug face. He didn't want her to taunt him about how right she had been. She already did enough of that. He was not interested in having his pride more hurt. He had been so certain he was right and she was wrong, and he prided himself in being always right.

And now he was faced with a situation where he had been incorrect. He had dismissed the wild claims of a chalk world. Even though he admitted it would explain some things, he never fully surrendered to the idea of it being real. It just defied explanation, and he could not understand how such a thing could exist. He had tried to go over any possible evidence in his head, and they all led to dead ends. It had been clear to him before that Terry was just smoking a lot of crack.

At least...until now...

He couldn't deny it. As much as it hurt him to say it, Terry was right, and _he_ was the one who was wrong. For the first time in his life, he had been so very wrong about something. The proof against what he felt was fact was present before his eyes. The tracking device was all the proof he needed to know that this world indeed existed.

Many thoughts raced through his head. Just what should he do with this knowledge? What path should he take with this? He wasn't sure if he could think of anything at this point. He was too shaken up at the moment to think of a plan.

But he knew Terry had one... He forced himself to look at her for a second. He forced himself to give her a sideways glance. Despite feeling a tinge of uncomfortableness as he saw her expression, he did not look away. That expression in her eyes...it was clear that she was already in deep thought, perhaps planning what their next move was going to be. A part of him was curious, while another was unnerved.

Yet at the same time...It felt almost exilarating. They both shared something in common. They might have seemed different at first, but he knew now, more than ever, just how alike they truly were. Both had been humiliated by the same children, both were accomplished through the use of this..._this chalk world_... And they both had a reputation that they longed to get back. Perhaps the team up _wasn't_ such a bad idea after all.

Suddenly, he noticed Terry's eyes flicker as she spotted something. He stared at her for a moment and then he turned and looked out in front of him. He scanned the area, trying to see what the woman spotted. It wasn't until he looked up at the window that he saw something.

There was a little girl there. Small, cute, adorable. But also frightened. It was as if she saw something terrible. He felt a pang of sympathy for her, but it was fleeting, disappearing quickly as he refocused his attention on her. There had to be a reason why Terry was staring at her. What was she...?

That was when he saw there was something with the little girl. She was clamping onto something. Green, flat... It was almost like a large piece of paper. He almost dismissed it when he saw something that nearly made him jump.

_Since when did paper have a face_...?

"Isn't this our lucky day?" Terry said coolly. Von stared over at her. "I was hoping Snap would be the one to show up." She folded her arms against her chest. She pointed a finger towards the window. "But...he'll do..."

Von looked back up towards the house, where the girl and the chalk thing were sitting right up against the window. The girl was staring outward, and he could see the chalk thing looking like he was trying to comfort the girl. None of them appeared to notice the van out here. None of them were aware that they were being watched. They were too busy looking as if they were comforting each other.

But Von held no sympathy for them. A different emotion was rising up inside of him. Something burning, something that made him want to jump up and rush over, something that he had to tame.

_Excitement_.

Von's mind was erupting with thoughts. They swirled around his head, giving him a headache. He felt like a child overwhelmed at Christmas time, unsure of which gift to open first. He grinned broadly as he stared at the zoner. A color of green...how ironic. That was the same color as money...

He had to get this creature. He had to get a hold of him. This creature... This living piece of paper... Oh screw perpetual motion. This was something far bigger. This was something far more impressive than mere perpetual motion.

This was going to change _everything_.

"Get me a tranquilizer dart..." Von hissed at Terry, not looking back at her. "We need to bring that thing in. I want it alive."

"Then you can't use a tranquilizer dart. He's made of chalk. You'd kill him." Terry's voice was cold as she said this, showing that she really had no concern over the creature dying.

Von stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "Then...what do _you_ propose we do...?" He could still study a dead specimen, but...yeah a living one would be more useful. "Any ideas?"

Terry nodded her head, giving a twisted smirk. "Oh don't worry... We'll have that green creature in our clutches soon enough. Just...do what I say..."

Von wasn't sure how much he could trust Terry. But he did realize that she knew more about this chalk world than he did. She would have a better idea on how to capture these things. He turned his attention back towards the house, watching as the green creature continued getting hugged tightly by the girl. He narrowed his eyes in determination. He would have this creature...and it was going to make him _rich_.


	9. Captures

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 9: Captures

_**How the unexpected can be unfair...**_

sss

Blocky squirmed, trying to get away from the child. Her arms were wrapped around him so tightly that he could barely breathe. He understood that she was so scared and frightened, but if she didn't let go of him soon, he might pass out. He needed some space. If she kept this up, he was going to pass out for sure.

He managed to free one of his hands and he pushed against her head. She let out a loud cry when he did this, and she held onto him tighter. He could feel her shaking her head against him, a few shouts of 'no', a clear protest. Blocky eventually stopped pushing, the screaming getting so loud, he feared that she was going to draw the attention from the adult humans. He might not be as smart as some zoners, but he knew what would happen if a human spotted him.

He stopped struggling and let the toddler hug him. He looked out the window. He reflected on what happened as he stared at the beautiful scenery before him. He had never seen what the Real World looked like, but at the moment, it hardly mattered to him. There were some more pressing matters to contend with.

He hoped that his friends weren't too worried about him. He felt bad for disappearing on them. He wanted to go back into ChalkZone and apologize if he had worried them. It wasn't like he left on his own accord, however. He tried to stay with them... But Sophie had other plans.

On their way to the hospital, Sophie had spotted the portal that led back to the Real World. She had immediately grabbed onto Blocky and dragged him over to it. Blocky tried to get her to stop, tried to make her slow down and rejoin the grip. But she would not listen. Before long, they had exited the portal and were back in the Real World. It all happened so fast that Blocky barely had time to regain his composure when the girl dragged him over to the window sill and hugged him tightly.

The little girl was so frightened, more so than he had ever seen anyone. He felt a bit guilty for trying to get away from her. He had a feeling that doing so just made her feel worse and scared her more. But it wasn't like he had much of a choice. He had to get out of here before someone spotted him. Being near the window made him feel uneasy. What if someone saw him? Like, through a telescope or something? He shuddered at the thought of people showing up at this house, demanding that Rudy tell him his secrets...

But how was he going to get home with this toddler hanging off of him? Sophie couldn't stay in ChalkZone for long without there being some kind of trouble that they'd have to deal with. Her mother would notice she was missing and try to find her. What if she ended up in ChalkZone as well? Or worse, what if she called the police and _all of them_ found ChalkZone?

It was imperative that he get out of here. He couldn't stay and Sophie couldn't come with. He did his best to comfort the toddler, but he needed to get her to understand that he needed to go back home. If he didn't get back, then not only would he worry his friends, but he would also be putting himself in great danger.

A zoner couldn't survive long in the Real World. He couldn't eat or drink anything here. In a matter of days, he would be close to death, and eventually die from dehydration. Then there was the matter of Real World water. Even if he didn't touch any of the stuff directly, the humidity that may be present would irritate him and slowly eat away at his body. Just the act of being in a humid, Real World land would be enough to...

He moved away from his thoughts when he heard Sophie say something. The statement was muffled and he could barely understand a word she was saying. He moved back, allowing her room to look up at him.

Sophie stared up at him with those sad eyes. This lasted for several moments. The longer he stared at her, the more he wanted to just reach down and hold onto her. But before he could say anything, something happened that changed the situation completely.

Sophie smiled.

In confusion, Blocky watched as the girl's grin spread practically from ear to ear. She held onto him more tightly, pressing him against her. Any sign of fear was now, suddenly, gone from her face. It was as if, now that she wasn't in danger anymore, she'd forgotten about it, and now wanted to return to having fun.

"Play time!" Sophie screeched playfully. She yanked on Blocky and dragged him towards one of the shelves in Rudy's room. "Come play with me!"

"W-Well Sophie, I..." Blocky stammered, unsure of how to react to this sudden change. "I really must..."

Sophie didn't give him a chance to finish. She forced him to sit down on the ground and she reached for a small, colorful box. Blocky recognized it as something that Rudy or Penny would use for school. He watched as the girl set it down beside her and opened it up. It was filled with all kinds of markers, colored pencils, and crayons.

Blocky realized that he probably is not going to be able to get away any time soon, so he simply sat there for the time being. Perhaps while Sophie drew on him, he would figure out something to help him get out of here. Or maybe he'd be lucky and Rudy or Penny would show up. They would probably be able to get convince Sophie to let him go. She'd definitely listen to Rudy, right? But then he remembered her last trip into ChalkZone...

"Hold still!" Sophie squealed as she grabbed onto a thick, black marker. She put her hand on his face and moved it up and down. He shut his eyes as she did this. He guessed that she was just trying to flatten an area for her to draw on. "Make pretty!" She brought the marker over.

Blocky resisted the urge to groan when he saw the marker coming towards him. He had miniature flashbacks to when she drew on his face. It was annoying, but, eh, she was a little girl. He might as well let her have a little fun, especially after what happened back in ChalkZone. The little tyke deserved some kind of reprive from that.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when there was a sudden burning sensation on his face. He let out a yelp and moved back. His eyes darted around as he tried to figure out what it was. He turned his eyes downward and he realized what it was.

It had been the marker.

"No..stop.._please_!" Blocky cried.

Sophie, however, wouldn't listen. She frowned at him slightly, looking annoyed that he had backed away like that. She launched herself forward and collided with him. She pushed him onto his back. Blocky kicked his legs as he tried to squirm away from her. But the little girl kept her body pressed against him. Her weight alone was enough to stop him. She grabbed onto his head and flattened him down. She lowered the black marker down to him.

Blocky seethed in pain as he felt the liquid marker penetrate his skin. Sophie moved it along his face, drawing different shapes on him. The amount of pain he felt increased the longer the girl drew on him. He could feel the ink burning against his skin. The only relief was that at least it dried quickly and the girl didn't take her sweet little time drawing. But the pain...he was only able to resist it for so long...

Blocky's pain-filled eyes darted around the room. He looked towards the portal, hoping, praying, that Rudy or Penny would come in and stop this. He looked towards the door. He was so desperate that he even hoped the mother would walk in. At least it would distract Sophie long enough for him to get away.

But for the time being, all he could do was lay here and take it. He couldn't attack Sophie; that would be wrong. He couldn't call for help. He might make things worse. He couldn't struggle away; the girl's grip on him was too tight. All he could do right now was take it, and hope that the girl would be done with him soon.

He was completely unaware of what was going on just outside the room.

sss

"You're kidding me, right?" Tilly said as she held onto the phone. "You want what..?"

"You heard me. We want the chalkboard. Bring it outside to us. We will gladly pay a large sum to have it. Trust me, we will make it worth your while."

Tilly bit her lip. She wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. She wasn't sure just how much she could believe the person on this other line. She knew full well of Terry's...antics, and this whole chalk world nonsense that she believed in. How could she trust anything that she said? She didn't want to be a part of this craziness that she had started herself.

Plus, it was Rudy's chalkboard that she wanted. For what...to try to reveal this chalk world... Such a nonsense thing to do. Hadn't the woman learned her lesson already? She was humiliated on television when she last tried to expose this chalk world. Was she really looking forward to another one of those? Was she really going to risk ruining her reptuation even more in her misguided attempt at exposing a world that did not exist?

However, that huge sum of money did seem...tempting. She felt a pang of guilt for feeling that way. She knew that money wasn't the most important thing in the world. But...still...

Tilly could get a lot of things with that kind of money. She could buy Rudy an even better chalkboard. More of them. She could get him a nice laptop computer that he could use for art. She could get him a lot more impressive art supplies. Was she really going to deny him all of that for the sake of a single, old chalkboard.

"We are waiting on your decision, ma'am."

"I know.. Just..give me some time..." Tilly said. Slowly, she rested the phone on the table and began to pace. She...she needed a little time to think.

She walked to and fro in the living room. Back and forth in front of the television and the couch she went. She folded her arms behind her back, her eyes narrowed in a concerned frown. Her thoughts moved through her as she tried to concentrate. She tried to think of what her answer should be.

On the one hand, she might upset Rudy more. She remembered their last conversation. She had punished him for scaring Sophie by making him do chores. She wondered if she had gone a little too far with that, with all that she had him doing. The look on his face when she called him into the living room seemed to confirm that. She had tried to make amends by giving him something to drink and offering him to watch a movie with her. But he had rejected it and left quickly.

She felt a pang of guilt when she thought about that. It was through that action alone that she realized that she may have indeed went too far. She had never meant to upset him like that. She should have just stuck with one chore. After all, it wasn't like Rudy meant to frighten Sophie.

Her thoughts, once more, shifted to the things she could get in return for the chalkboard, should she decide to sell it. It was just one measley chalkboard, after all. There were plenty like it. It can easily be replaced. Rudy never keeps anything drawn on there for long anyway. In fact, she hardly ever saw him use it. Would he really care if it was gone?

Besides, she could get him more things that he could use. More art supplies. More paper. Maybe a better art desk. Terry was offering enough money for her to get him a lot of things. And if he really wanted a chalkboard, she could get him a larger one, made of better materials, and some better chalk. She could get him a computer and a scanner so he could put his art online if he wanted to. She could get him some high quality supplies so he could share his art with the world.

And all she would have to do is exchange his old chalkboard...

She made her decision. She turned to the phone and walked towards it quickly. She grabbed onto it and lifted it up. She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. She hoped she wouldn't live to regret this decision.

"Okay. The chalkboard is yours."

"Excellent..." She heard Terry say. "Bring it outside. We will be waiting."

There was a click and she heard the familiar tone of the phone being off. She stared at it for a few seconds and then rested it on the hook. She leaned back and ran her fingers through her hair.

She hoped she wouldn't regret this decision. She could feel a burning sensation in her stomach as she worried that she may have made the wrong choice. Maybe she should have spoken with Rudy first about it, see if he wanted it to be sold. But she reminded herself that it was just a chalkboard and that he'd get so much more out of the deal.

She looked towards the staircase. She hadn't heard a peep out of Rudy since he left. She thought about calling out to him, but if he was angry with her, he may not respond. He might even try to hide, which would make it very difficult for her to speak with him on the matter.

So instead, she opted to go upstairs. If she showed up in his room unexpectantly, he wouldn't be able to hide and she'd be able to speak to him. She would explain to him what her intentions were and that she only wanted what was best for him. Surely, he would understand once she explained the whole situation to him. He was a smart little boy. He wouldn't be _that_ attached to one single chalkboard, right?

Without further delay, the woman began to descend the stairs. She moved slowly so that she wouldn't make noise going up. As she did, she could hear something going on. Some kind of noise. Frowning softly, she slightly sped up her pace.

sss

"Please, Sophie...stop this..." Blocky said softly. He tried to turn his head away, but he was not able to stop the girl from making another black inked circle on his face. "This hurts..."

Sophie didn't stop. She continued drawing him, enjoying every second of it. She didn't seem aware that she was hurting him. She didn't notice the wincing of his eyes, or his face contorting. All she could see was a large, green paper, and how ripe it was for her to draw on. She would not allow him to leave. Not until she was finished covering him up in black ink.

She wasn't doing this out of malice. As Blocky heard the little girl laughing, he could tell it was out of joy, not sick satisfaction. Sophie was just unaware of the damage she was causing him. He could try to explain, but how would she fully understand at her age? The very concept might fly right over her head. The only thing he could do was either hope she'd be done soon and that there won't be too much damage to himself, or he could try to get away from her, knock her away and then jump back through the portal.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't get himself to push the little girl away. He could if he mustered up enough strength. Yet the very act of carrying it out... After what the girl had been through, how could he do such a thing to her? She had been frightened enough, especially with how she was nearly crushed to death today.

Yet...he wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to handle this. The burning sensation on his face...it was getting worse. He could feel some blood start to leak out from the burns. It wasn't as bad as Real World water, but that wasn't saying too much. It still hurt him, still stung him, still made him squirm.

He...he had to get away. He couldn't stay like this any longer. The burning, it was getting worse as the seconds passed. It was like someone was holding a candle light too close to his skin. He could feel the burning even on areas where the ink had dried up. His brain was churning out rapid thought as he looked left and right, hoping to find something, _anything_, to make Sophie let him go.

Just then he heard something in the distance. Faint...slight...quiet... He had to strain to hear it. Sophie's laughter didn't exactly make it that easy for him. He did his best to listen to whatever was going on, doing what he could to hear past Sophie, and to whatever was going on outside the door.

Then he saw the doorknob moving. _Someone was coming in_.

In desperation, Blocky pushed against Sophie. He knocked her into the ground. She hit against the shelf, knocking a few things over. He quickly stopped up and looked around for a place to hide. He looked down at the little girl, noticing her expression. He felt a pang of guilt at how sad she looked, and how she was on the verge of tears. Blocky so desperately wanted to cheer her up and apologize, but he didn't have time for that.

He heard the squeaking of the door opening up. His heart pounding against his chest, he dove underneath the bed. He pushed himself as far under it as he could. He flattened himself on the ground and, ignoring the pain on his face, tried his best to keep quiet.

He could see a woman walking into the room. He couldn't tell who it was, but he guessed it was a family member of Rudy's. Possibly his aunt? Then his heart started to race faster when he realized he didn't cover up the portal. And now it was too late; as much as he wanted to rush forward and put something over it, it was _too late_. The aunt was fully in the room, and any second now, she was going to notice the portal.

But so far, she did not. Instead, she had turned her attention to Sophie. The girl, at this point, was crying. She looked absolutely hurt by what Blocky did to her. The sight of it broke his heart. He didn't mean to upset her like that. He didn't mean to knock her down. He was just so desperate to get away, and if he hadn't done that, he would have gotten himself into bigger trouble.

He watched as the aunt comforted the little girl. She scooped Sophie up into her arms and held onto her. She hugged her little girl and whispered soft, comforting words to her. The woman rocked the trembling child back and forth.

The sight of it reminded Blocky of the mother chocolate bunny that he and Snap ran into that one time. After the whole misunderstanding was cleared up and she got her babies back, she was more than happy to share her chocolate milk with them, treating them like they were just a couple more of her babies. At this memory, Blocky couldn't help but smile. He always found these kinds of moments to be rather cute.

Sophie had calmed down rather quickly as her mom hugged her. She soon stopped crying altogether and the woman set her daughter on the ground. Sophie took a look towards him and frowned. He winced at this and cringed back, wondering if the girl was going to try to scold him. Thankfully, she simply turned in another direction and found another piece of paper to torment...er...draw on.

Blocky now just had to wait for the woman to disappear. He hoped that Rudy's aunt would disappear quickly. He had his one chance at getting out of here, and it was just a few feet in front of him. The chalkboard was right there. The woman hadn't even noticed it yet. All she had to do was back away and leave. Now that her daughter was okay, surely, she would turn around and leave. Then he could make his move.

The zoner's body began to shiver in fear when something else happened entirely. Instead of leaving like he hoped, the woman grabbed a large tarp and put it over the chalkboard. She pushed it into the ground and bent the legs inward. Soon they were flattened completely, a snap indicating that they were now locked in place. The woman finished wrapping it up in the tarp, picked it up, and began to take it away.

Blocky couldn't believe it. A cold sensation clutched at his chest as he watched the woman take away the chalkboard. His one chance at getting home... It was gone... Just like that... She had come and taken it away from him. Now how was he going to get back?

And what of the others? How were they going to get home now? He quickly relaxed when he realized that they would just find another chalkboard. But where... Penny's...that's it. If he could just get to Penny's place, he may have a chance at getting home. Penny had a chalkboard, too.

He just needed to get out of here. With Sophie now distracted, now was the perfect chance for him to make his getaway. He cralwed out from underneath the bed. He stared at her for a few seconds. Making sure that she, indeed, wasn't paying him any attention, the green zoner began to make his way out of the room, the aunt already down the steps with the chalkboard.

Blocky paused for a moment. He tried to think of what he was going to do. He suddenly realized that he had no idea which way Penny's place was. And unlike Snap, he couldn't go to anyone for help. Snap could pass off as a kid in a costume, but not him. He was way too flat. If someone spotted him...

Suddenly he froze. He heard something from down the steps. A creaking sound, sliding against the floor. He saw a flash of light, and he soon realized what was going on.

Rudy's aunt was taking the portal outside...

Sucking in a sharp breath, Blocky's mind instantly switched from merely trying to escape to wanting to protect ChalkZone. He had to get that chalkboard back. He couldn't believe he had nearly forgotten about it. How could he have expected the woman not to do anything that could expose ChalkZone while he tried to get back? He needed to take it and hide it somehow. But how would he do that without getting spotted?

He would have to figure out something and fast. There wasn't much time left. As he moved down the steps slowly, he could get a glimpse of Rudy's aunt dragging the covered chalkboard outside. He took in quick breaths and sped himself up. Soon he reached the bottom of the steps, but by then, the door had shut all the way.

He stood there in shock, unable to believe just what had happened. He tried to open up the door, but the thing was so slick, and it stung him a little. He guessed it must have been recently cleaned, but not thoroughly dried. He tried to squeeze underneath the door, but there was hardly any space there. He wouldn't fit through. He turned his head left and right, desperately trying to figure a way out.

Noticing the window in the living room, he rushed over towards it. He pressed his hands against the cold surface and looked through it. Outside, he could see Rudy's aunt holdling onto the tarp-covered chalkboard. His eyes followed her, and soon they noticed a van parked not far. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was going to happen.

Rudy's aunt must be _selling the chalkboard or giving it away_.

He tried his best to control his hyperventilating breathing. Many thoughts raced through his head. All of a sudden, there was a lot more at stake now. It was one thing if Rudy's aunt just kept the board. At least they could plan a way to get it back, and even if she did see the chalk world, she would be more easily reasoned with. But these people whom she was giving the chalkboard too? They may not be so cooperative...

Blocky had no idea who these people are, or why they wanted the chalkboard. He didn't know if they had any idea of ChalkZone's existence. He had no idea what they had planned. For all he knew, it could just be a simple selling or giveaway. But that didn't erase the threat of what might happen if they were to see the chalkboard's opening...

Blocky moved away from the window sill and looked around in desperation. Somewhere, there had to be a way out. An open window. Another door. Something that he could use. He didn't have much time. If he didn't get out there...

...then who knows what will happen?

He hoped that Rudy and Penny would notice the portal moving. He hoped someone in ChalkZone sees it and keeps track of it. He hoped that the two creators realized what was going on and were thinking of a backup plan. If Rudy could just erase the portal, then it would be fine. He could do so from the side of ChalkZone. A simple, easy fix. Heck, he might be able to if he had an...

He saw an eraser not far from where he was. His eyes stared intently at it. Such a dangerous thing. He could feel his heart racing just looking at it. He knew full well what could happen to him if he messed around with it too much. He knew of the danger it had for him. Yet...despite the risk, and despite the fear he had for it, it may be his one chance. Even if Rudy and Penny were aware, they might still need his help.

Grabbing onto a plastic bag he found laying on the ground, he scooped up the eraser into it and tied it up, preventing its dangerously abrasive layers from touching him. Keeping a good, tight grip on it, the zoner turned and rushed through the house, hoping to find some way of getting out.

sss

Terry did her best to ignore the skeptical look she got from Von. She focused her eyes on the window next to her. She glared as she stared out at the Tabooties' home. The plan had been initiated; now all they had to do was wait.

She ignored the groans she got from the man sitting next to her. She did not bother looking at him in the eyes. She knew what he was thinking. She knew what he might think of her 'little plan', as he had put it. She didn't have any desire to argue with him, especially not now. The plan was in motion, regardless of what he thought of it. And if all went well, they would have their revenge, as well as reclaim their dignity.

Terry knew full well that this plan could easily backfire. The woman on the phone, whom she found out was Rudy's aunt, had been told of what she had been doing. She knew of her obsession with the chalk world. This realization made her bite her lip. This woman could easily have resisted, and not allow her what she needed.

She was thankful that the woman did eventually cave in with money. Of course, she had no intention on fulfilling that promise. She did not have such money available. Perhaps Von did. She hadn't bothered to ask him if he could loan the woman the money she promised her so that she wouldn't call the police. But if he didn't... Terry cursed herself for not thinking this through more.

But no time to worry about that now. The woman was approaching the van now. She had to get herself ready. She had to look as proper as she could for this interaction. After all, the woman was not likely going to hand over the goods if she looked like a disheveled bum.

"You there!" Terry barked as she tossed him a moist toilette. "Get cleaned up! We've got company!"

Von snatched the cloth with ease. He looked down at it. He cocked an eyebrow. "Why should I..."

"_Just do it_!" Terry hissed. "I don't need to explain everything to you!"

Von shook his head. He looked like he was going to argue with her more but thankfully, he refrained from doing so and started to wipe his face with the moist toilette. He muttered under his breath, "Ziz plan of yourz iz ztupid..."

Terry ignored his words as she focused on the woman approaching them. A part of her wished that it had been Mr. or Mrs. Tabootie approaching as she felt it would have been easier dealing with them. This woman, on the other hand, she didn't know as much about. She didn't know what to expect when interacting with her. She would not be able to plan very well, and it was all going to be luck of the draw.

Her eyes locked onto the keyboard. Her mouth tugged into a broad smile. Perfect.. The woman did bring it down with her after all. Terry had been worried the woman would want to talk to her more before actually bringing out the goods. And for once, no sign of that little brat or his friends around to stop her.

She hoped that this chalkboard still had the portal on it. She didn't know how Rudy Tabootie handled that, if he kept the portal open or if he erased it. She had no way of accurately predicting his behavior in that regard. If the portal was still open, then she'd secure it somehow. However, even if it wasn't open, there was still another purpose this served, which would suit their needs just fine.

It would prevent that little zoner she and Von spotted earlier from returning home. She predicted that he, out of desperation would follow the chalkboard and try to get back inside of it. He would leave the safety of the home and be a perfect target. No one would suspect a thing; after all, he looks like a piece of paper. She gave a small smile. This turned out much better than if it were Snap. It'd be hard for her getting him in her bag without someone trying to stop her. They would mistake him for a child. But no one would come to this green zoner's aid. He was just a piece of paper.

Getting a working portal was nothing more than a bonus to her. It'd be nice to have, but it wasn't necessary for her her goals. That green chalk creature, he was the one that would set everything into motion. He was the bargaining chip that she needed to force the two brats to cooperate. He was the specimen that was going to prove to the world that chalk entities were indeed real, and that there was a world made entirely of chalk.

So long as she had the rectangle creature, _she couldn't lose_.

As soon as the brown-haired woman was half-way across the street, Terry turned to Von. She nudged him with her elbow, causing him to drop his moist toilette and shoot her a look. She ignored it and hissed at him, "She's almost here! Get out of the van, and let _me_ do the talking, okay?"

"Well, I'm pretty good at negotiating." Von said. He gave a haughty smile, placing his hand against his chest. "You should let me..."

Terry shook her head, glaring at him. "You would screw things up! It was hard enough to convince that woman to come out here! I will _not_ let you undo all of that!" Terry ignored the man's growl at her as she reached for the door. As she paused, preparing to open it, she gave the man a sideways glance. "Now step out. Let's get this over with quickly, before the two children find out what's going on..."

Von opened his mouth to speak, but he shut it when she glared at him again. He shook his head, still looking uncertain and skeptical of this plan of hers. She merely shook her head at this display of disbelief from him. It didn't matter if he didn't think the plan would work or not. What did matter was that she knew it would work, so long as everything played out correctly. That meant no input from him unless she asked. They were so close...and if that man screwed this up...

She shook the thoughts out of her head as she stepped out of the vehicle. She could hear the door shut from the other side. She turned her head just enough to see Dr. Von Doktor coming around to join her. She then looked over at the woman and, putting on the friendliest face that she could, she raised her hand up and waved at her.

"Hello! Greetings, Ms..." Her voice trailed off when she realized she didn't know the woman's last name.

"Just call me Tilly." The woman said. "I don't care if someone calls me by my first name or not." She let out a grunt as she dragged the chalkboard closer. "This...is what you wanted, right?"

Terry looked at the item the woman was carrying. She noted how it was covered up with a tarp. "Is this the chalkboard?"

Tilly nodded her head. "Yes." She set the chalkboard down. She wiped off her hands. Despite looking pretty strong, the woman looked a bit exhausted from dragging the thing around. "I'm not sure why you want this old thing so badly."

"Trust me, I have my reasons." Terry turned her head to Von. She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him closer. "He will be giving you payment."

Von spluttered at this. "_I will_?! I didn't..."

Terry shot him a death glare. "We talked about it in the van." She said through clenched teeth, doing her best not to let any suspicion rise up in Tilly. "Now get out your wallet and write a check!"

"Oh okay..." Von said. Without another word, he pulled out a check and began to write a sum of money on it.

"And make sure to give her a generous amount for it." Terry said in a soft voice. The man merely nodded his head. Terry turned her attention to Tilly. "We promise, you will not regret this decision."

Tilly nodded her head. "I sure hope so." She folded her hands together and turned her head to the side. There was a somewhat sad expression in her eyes. "Rudy isn't speaking to me, so I hope I can use this money to cheer him up."

"Don't worry. You _will_." Terry said, smiling the best she could.

Tilly returned the smile. "And I wish you the best of luck with.." She looked at the chalkboard. A look of confusion plastered over her face for a few seconds. She then shook her head. "..whatever it is you will be doing with this thing.."

Terry smiled at this. "Thank you." She said in the nicest tone of voice that she could muster up. She turned her head towards Von. She frowned when she saw that he was still writing on the piece of paper. "You aren't done with that yet?"

"Don't worry. I'm almost done..." Von quickened up his writing when he saw Terry look at him. Terry wordlessly reminded him that they didn't have a lot of time to fool around. They needed to get out of here. Von swiftly finished writing the check, tore it out of his checkbook, and handed it over to Tilly. "Here you are!"

"Thanks." Tilly examined the check. She held it out and tilted it to one side, looking at the number the old man had written. She frowned at first, and Terry wondered if the woman was going to demand more money. "Okay, a pleasure doing business with you." Thankfully, she didn't. She turned and walked away.

Terry grinned at this. Now they have the chalkboard. The first part of their plan was a success. Now she just had to wait for that green chalk thing to come on out. If it wanted to come home so badly, it will leave the house and try to catch up to the chalkboard. Then, she and Von will strike.

First, however, she wanted to make sure if this chalkboard had a portal or not. Whether or not it did would affect how the rest of the plan would progress. She could adapt either way to it. She was flexible like that. Gripping the bottom of the tarp, she lifted it up enough to expose the chalkboard itself. And, to her amazement and satisfaction...

..there was indeed a portal there.

Terry quickly covered it up before Von had a chance to see it. She didn't need him knowing about it right now. He might be too brash and rush in. Terry knew they still had to play it safe. She had been too brash before, and look at where that got her. No, they would need to play it smarter and safer this time around. They have a portal, but they would simply secure it for now. No attempts to enter the chalk world would be made until further notice.

Terry took a moment to look around, turning her head left to right. She didn't see the little brats coming down the street, or from the house. She guessed that they were still in the chalk world and hadn't yet gotten out. It was hard to tell since they didn't have the tracker out with them at the moment. No matter, they could check when they get back in.

Now was the time to go. She didn't want to run the risk of Tilly changing her mind, or Rudy showing up unexpectantly to steal away her success like on that blasted television set. Gesturing to Von, they carried the chalkboard towards the back of her van. The doors were propped open and they set the chalkboard inside, keeping it covered up by the tarp.

They then climbed back into the vehicle. She would have left to go back to the lab, since they have a portal now. But she hesitated. They still needed that green creature before they went. But they couldn't stay in this same spot. Tilly might get suspicious.

Upon hearing her turn the keys in the ignition, Von stared at her in shock. "_What are you doing_?!"

"We need to move further down the street." Terry said in a firm voice. "We cannot allow that woman to see us still parked here. We will drive around the block and park on the other street behind the house."

"I suppose that makes sense." Von said.

"Oh and Von?" Terry said as she gave him a sideways glance. "Make sure you grab the laced bag back there." Upon realizing that Von was confused, she added, "I researched chalk and there is something that interacts with it in an...interesting way. I think this will help us keep the creature weak while we transport him."

"Gotcha." Von said, nodding his head once.

Without another word, the pair drove down the street. It was time to get ready for part two of the plan. It was time to get that little creature before Rudy had a chance to do anything to stop them. Terry couldn't help but smile. She had always heard that revenge was sweet. But the path to get there was just as enjoyable.

She did not notice that a pair of eyes had been watching her.

sss

Tilly was still so confused. She wasn't sure what to make of this unusual encounter. She had never heard of anyone who was this interested in chalkboards. She never met anyone who would spend that much money on a chalkboard. Were they thinking straight _at all_?

She had to keep looking at the check to make sure that it wasn't a trick of the eye or anything. The same amount was constanly present. A whopping $1,700 is what was paid for the chalkboard. This was more than enough to pay for all kinds of high quality art suppies for both her daughter and her nephew. It was an excessively high amount, but she didn't want to rush back and question them, especially since this was the easiest sum of money she had ever gotten. All it cost her was one measley chalkboard.

She planned on cashing this check as soon as possible. She knew that Rudy would be a little upset with her for selling his chalkboard without his permission. But he'd fell better once she got him something really nice. A nearly birthday present of sorts. She would get him something even better.

Tilly stuffed the check into her pocket. She grabbed her keys and got herself ready to leave. She paused for a moment. She looked upstairs. Should she go up and try to find Rudy and speak to him? After all, he wouldn't be happy knowing that his chalkboard was taken from him. Maybe she should ease his confusion at it being gone now before she went out.

She soon decided against it. The little boy hadn't come out of hiding since their last interaction in the living room. He may not be in the mood to talk. She didn't want to force him out if he didn't want to. She decided it was best to just leave him be. She would surprise him when she got back.

The woman headed towards the door. As she opened up the door slowly, she noticed that Terry had not yet left. She was standing there with that scientist guy. She looked like she was thinking about something. She frowned in confusion. She wondered why she hadn't hoisted that chalkboard up and put it away. Surely, with her van, that wouldn't have taken that long.

Then she saw that the red-haired woman was pulling up the tarp, curiosity piqued in her mind. Even though she had a feeling at Terry may have just wanted to check the chalkboard's condition, there was a part of her that couldn't turn away. She kept staring as the tarp was pulled further up, and then she saw something that shouldn't be there.

Was...was that.._light_...? The woman sucked in a sharp breath. Why was there light coming from the chalkboard? Had a flashlight gotten stuck in the tarp somehow? No, she would've felt it. But if it wasn't that, then...

She nearly fell to the ground when she saw what was causing the light. Her legs were so weak, it was difficult to keep herself standing. She was unable to tear her eyes away from it. She resisted the urge to rush out and demand Terry what this thing was.

An opening. There was an _opening_ on the chalkboard.

Terry had closed it down too quickly for her to get too many details. But she saw enough to confirm that there was some kind of hole in the surface of the chalkboard. There was light, and some green. Grass? A blue sky? Was this thing a..._a portal to another world_? This realization caused a shiver to wrack through her body, and she put her hand to her mouth nearly dropping her keys in the process.

Many thoughts raced through her mind as she numbly watched the van leave. What she had seen would be imprinted on her mind for a long time. It may have been quick, but no way would she forget this anytime soon. She could feel her body shake from the realization. Her legs, unable to carry her any further, just plopped down, and soon she was on her knees in front of the door.

A dawning realization creeped in the back of her mind. This...this is why they wanted the chalkboard. This is why they paid this much money for it. They wanted this portal thing. A portal that led into some unknown world upon which she had almost no knowledge of. A world of infinite possibilities. A world that could be dangerous. _And she had helped them get there_.

A burning feeling began to rise up in her stomach. Her anger from before returned swiftly. As much as she was peeved that Terry did not tell her the truth, it was not her she was the most angry with.

It was Rudy.

Why didn't he tell her about this? How long had this been going on? Where did the portal come from? So many questions raced through her head. She clutched it, feeling a headache spreading through her temples. The realization that Rudy may have been visiting another dimension made a lump crawl its way into her throat, and she resisted the urge to throw up. Fear for his safety and anger that he never spoke up before ruled her mind.

How could Rudy do something so foolish? How could he have been doing this behind his folks' backs? She recalled how her sister said that Rudy would disappear for hours. They had all assumed he just had a special hiding place he liked to say and think. Was _this_ where he was actually going? To this _alternate dimension_?

She narrowed her eyes and bit her lip so hard, she nearly drew blood. She tightened her grip on the check, nearly crumbling it in her hands. She couldn't believe that Rudy could be so reckless... She shot a glare towards the steps. He had _a lot_ to answer for.

sss

Blocky sighed with relief when he was able to slip out of the backdoor. Rudy's aunt being present made it a little harder for him to get out. Luckily, she appeared to be distracted by her thoughts to really notice him walking behind her. He was thankful for his paper-like design, as it made him quite lightweight and quiet.

The backdoor wasn't closed all the way. There was a slight crack to it. More than what the front door offered. It was enough for him to slip through. He eased his way out and soon he was on the other side. He slipped and fell into the grass. He spluttered, spitting out the blades of grass and climbed back to his feet. Brushing himself off, he looked around.

Which way should he go? He knew that the van taking the chalkboard was around the front, but he remembered hearing the chug of the engine and he knew that the van would not be there anymore. That didn't worry him, however. There was the chance that the vehicle would spin around on the other side. Yeah, it was wishful thinking, but what did he have to lose? He could at least try and if that option wasn't available, well he could just hang around here until Rudy and Penny come out.

He moved along the side of the house, keeping his hand pressed against the wall. He looked left and right, keeping himself hidden the best that he could. This was not an easy thing to do. Even with the bushes, he was largely exposed. He was just glad there was a large fence in the backyard. This provided him some protection from being spotted, but it was not perfect. And to make matters worse, he was going to have to cross it if he wanted to reach the other side.

"_Rudy Tabootie_!"

Blocky jumped, nearly screaming at the sound of that loud voice suddenly calling out. He turned himself around and looked back towards Rudy's house. It sounded like Rudy's aunt, and she was _pissed_.

He wondered why she was so angry. Had Rudy forgotten to do something that he'd promised he'd do? Did she notice him gone and was not happy with him disappearing like that? Or maybe...no... It couldn't be possible... The zoner's eyes widened in horror at the very idea. It...couldn't be...right...?

Had the woman spotted something with the chalkboard? Did...did she _see the portal_...?

Blocky felt a surge of chilling fear rise up inside of him. If Rudy's aunt saw the portal... If she had become aware of Rudy sneaking into an alternate dimension...

The rectangular zoner didn't have much time to dwell on this fact. Something loomed over him. He froze, a chill rushing throug his body as a shadow covered his body, and he could hear excited breathing behind him. Slowly, he turned his head. His eyes widened in horror at what he saw.

_Two humans... Smiling at him...holding a bag_...

Blocky felt his heart skip a beat at this sight. He attempted to make a run for it, but it was too late. Darkness descended upon him completely as he was suddenly covered in a bag. He let out a grunt as the top of it was tightened and he was thrust upwards into the air. He hit against something solid and he realized he was being carried away.

"_Help! Help_!" Blocky cried, pounding on the bag. "_Somebody! Help! I_..."

Blocky didn't have time to finish. Suddenly, he felt drowsy and weak. He could feel his energy being sapped from him by an invisible entity. He swayed from side to side, his eyes growing heavy. He struggled to stay awake, but it was no use. He soon collapsed, his body going limp. He found it difficult to move, even harder to keep his eyes open. It didn't take long for his eyelids to shut completely, and darkness loomed over him. He slipped into unconsciousness seconds later.


	10. Disappears

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 10: Disappears

_**Best to act fast, or you will regret it later. How fast things can happen.**_

sss

Rudy breathed a sigh of relief. It felt as though a burden had just been lifted up from his shoulders. He couldn't help but smile at the doctor before him. He was so happy that it took all his will power not to rush over and hug him. One of the biggest worries on his mind had just been alleviated for him.

"So they are okay?" He heard Penny say. There was a tinge of hope to her voice. "They will recover?"

The doctor, holding a clipboard in his hands, nodded his head once. "Yes. They will need some time to rest of course. _Especially_ Snap. But we have found no major injuries on them. I imagine they will be able to leave in few days. If they have to stay longer, then we will tell you."

"Thank you." Penny said as she let out a relieved sigh.

Rudy smiled at this. He was glad that everything was going to work out okay. They both had been so worried about Rapsheeba and Snap. They were concerned that they were hurt worse than it looked. It was such a relief to know that they were going to be okay. That was one less thing that he and Penny had to worry about.

They had arrived at the hospital a short time ago. He wasn't sure exactly the length. Perhaps an hour? Maybe not as much. Time always seemed to move so slowly in these hospitals. He sometimes felt his mind go numb just from shere boredom, sitting there and wait. The only thing preventing that was his worry for his friends. Often, his mind would have storms of what could become of them. There were several possibilities, each new one worse than the last.

They had rushed there as soon as they could. After drawing a mode of transportation, they reached the hospital as fast as was possible without risking injurying them further. They didn't spare much time to speak to the zoners. As much as it pained Rudy to leave them in the dark about the tornado's situation, he had to drop off his friends at the hospital first. He was so worried about them.

Especially Snap... The poor guy was disoriented ever since he first ran into him when he found Penny. Snap was not fully there, or truly aware of what was going on. He constantly insisted that he was fine even though he clearly wasn't. He was very unsteady on his feet, and a few times he nearly fell down. He swayed from side to side, his eyes were unfocused, and he looked like he just woke up from a year long nap. He was just..._not right_. And when he found out from Penny he was knocked unconscious, that had him even more worried.

He had been tense the entire time they were there. When Snap and Rapsheeba were taken back to be examined, he remained by Penny's side, sometimes holding her hand as he stared at the clock. He waited as the seconds and minutes crawled by very slowly, waiting on the results. He could feel his stomach tie up in knots. He felt a surge in his stomach like he wanted to throw up. The wait was just unbearable.

When the doctor came out and delivered the news, it felt ike a rock that was on his back had been rolled off. It was such a huge relief, knowing that they were both going to be okay. This was the best news he had gotten all day.

"Can we see our friends?" Rudy asked. The doctor frowned and shook his head. Rudy looked at the doctor in confusion. "Huh? Why not? I thought you said they were fine."

"They are, but...we still need to monitor them." The doctor said quickly. "They are still being examined. The doctors would not appreciate you being in there."

"But...it's only going to be a short visit. Surely we can..." Penny started to say.

The doctor cut her off. "No, I'm sorry." He raised his hadn up. "Absolutely not. _No_ exceptions."

Rudy frowned at this. It was strange that the doctors won't let him and Penny in. They were ChalkZone's protectors. Surely, they could make an exception for them. They weren't going to cause trouble or anything. They knew to back off and let them do their work.

But...oh well. He didn't feel like arguing with him right now. He had just been running for his life from some wicked tornado and barely made it out of it, and then he had his heart worked up when he realized his friends had been hurt. He didn't really feel like causing more stress for himself by arguing with this zoner. He and Penny could always visit later, when the doctors weren't so concerned about them 'interrupting business', or whatever they'd say.

And there was the matter of informing the citizens of ChalkZone City about the fate of the tornado. They needed to know that they were safe now and that the twister was dealt with. He also needed to see that the injured were tended to, and see what he could do to help rebuild the buildings that had been destroyed.

He hoped no one was seriously hurt in that attack. He would feel awful if a zoner had been seriously injured, even killed, by this whirlwind. He recalled just how dangerous it was. And the fact that it appeared almost...sentient... That sent chills down his spine. He didn't know what kind of person would make such a thing. Regular twisters were bad enough. To give them a mind and a will to destroy...

Rudy tried his best not to think about it. He was certain the person who drew it didn't know what they were doing, and just didn't realize the harm they were bringing. There wasn't much he could do about it except keep on the eye out for more in case the person decided to draw another. The zoners would also have to be prepared, then again, they always were, since dangerous creations could be erased at any given moment.

Not wanting to potentially cause any further conflict, he and Penny said their goodbyes to the doctor quickly and left. As they went out, the doctor called out to them and told them they could come back in a few hours to see their friends if they'd like. They thanked the doctor and walked out of the hospital.

The two friends stood on the side of the hospital, leaning against the wall. They were quiet for a few moments. They reflected on what happened today. Things were certainly a lot more...exciting than they thought they were going to be. Then again, that's how it always was. They never predict when these things happen. They just kind of...do.

Just then, something crossed Rudy's mind. He widened his eyes, unable to believe he hadn't thought of it. He looked left and right, feeling his mind start to race.

Penny looked at him with concern. "Rudy? What is it?"

"_Blocky_..." Rudy whispered. "Was he with us when we went to the hospital...?"

Penny paused for a moment. "No..." Her voice sounded haunting. "He had Sophie with him and..." She took in a sharp gasp and looked around. "I don't see her anywhere here."

Rudy's heart clenched. He took a step back, a disbelieving look in his eyes. They had lost Blocky and Sophie. How could they have done that? Rudy thought for sure they were with, but he had been in such a hurry to get Rapsheeba and Snap to the hospital that he didn't do a head count to make sure Blocky and Sophie were with them and.. Oh no..what had he done..? How could he have left them alone like that?

Penny put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We will find them, Rudy. Don't worry." Penny tried to sound as reassurance as possible. "We just need to go back and retrace our steps. I'm sure they didn't wander far." Rudy looked at her, uncertain of what to believe. "It will be okay, Rudy. Blocky is responsible. You know that."

Rudy took in a few deep breaths. "Yeah...you're right..." He could feel his heart rate slowing down a little. He gave his friend a grateful smile. It didn't last very long before a frown returned to his face. He looked out in the direction that they came. "Come on... Maybe we can find them before my aunt gets suspicious."

"Good idea." Penny said. "The last thing we need to worry about is your aunt finding you missing for too long."

Rudy nodded his head. "She's not like my mom and dad. She may try harder to find me. And if she goes into my room..." Suddenly Rudy's arms stiffened out at his sides, and he let out a small scream. "_Oh my gosh_!" He clutched his head tightly, digging his fingernails into his scalp. "_The portal! I forgot to erase the portal_!"

Penny looked at him in horror. "Oh Rudy..."

Rudy grabbed onto Penny's hand. He pulled on her roughly. He felt guilty when he heard her grunt. But they didn't have time to spare. They needed to secure the portal before they did anything else. They would search for Blocky and Sophie after they ensure that the portal was safe. "Come on! We've got to erase that portal!"

The two children immediately took off. There wasn't time to waste. Rudy knew the longer they waited, the more likely his aunt would walk into his room and find the portal open. He had to make sure that didn't happen. It would be a complete disaster.

To have someone else find out about ChalkZone... That would be a nightmare. They already had Terry and Vinnie to worry about, and possibly Von. He didn't want another person to find out as well. He didn't want Tilly to learn about his adventures in an alternate dimension. He couldn't begin to imagine how she might react to it. And then if she found out Sophie had gotten in there...

This would be worse than Terry or Vinnie or Von finding out. It was worse because it was on a personal level. He could deal with having to defend ChalkZone against people he didn't really care that much about. He didn't mind running circles around them or making them angry, because they were his enemies, and he knew they hated him right back.

But for his aunt to find out... That would be a whole different story. He loved his aunt, and he knew how much she cared about him. He would feel awful having to go against her, to violate that familial bond they had. He couldn't do to her what he did to Terry or Vinnie. He'd feel awful about it. And his aunt...she loved him too much to let him wander around in what she may see as a 'dangerous dimension'. She would most certainly tell his folks about it, and then..what were they going to do...? Bar him from going into ChalkZone? Would they spread the word? Would it get exposed...?

Rudy felt like cursing himself out for forgetting to erase the portal. He was usually good with that sort of stuff. The fact that he forgot this time... He wanted to smash his head in the wall. How could he have been so stupid? He could only hope that he would make it back in time to ensure that his aunt would not find out.

Only time would tell if he would succeed or fail.

sss

"No...No..." Rudy whispered. He smacked his lips together, his eyes darting around. Then, a few seconds later, he screamed, "_No_!"

Penny watched her friend sadly. She rubbed her hands together nervously, clenching her teeth. She hated to see Rudy like this. So upset, so angry, so...terrified... She wished she could comfort him. She wished she could say something to help him feel better. But at the moment, she was drawing a blank.

They had recently arrived at the location where Rudy gets into ChalkZone from his home. It hadn't taken them too long to get here. Maybe a few minutes, but to them, it felt so much longer. To them, they couldn't move fast enough. Every second counted. Every moment that passed was a second wasted. There was so much riding on this. Time all around them appeared to slow down, coming to a hault. Minutes swiftly transformed into hours, and she and Rudy both couldn't help but fear the worst.

Penny tried to remain rational about the situation. She tried to remind Rudy, and herself, that there was still time. Tilly may not have gone into his bedroom yet. The portal was probably just sitting there in his empty room, just waiting to be erased. They had to keep calm and avoid getting themselves worked up. They would not solve anything that way.

Then came the painful shattering of hope when they finally arrived at their destination. Penny had went quiet in horror, while Rudy found it difficult to keep quiet. He frantically called out, hoping it was some kind of sick joke. He had even turned to her and wondered if she did anything, which she could assure him that she did not.

There was no way they could deny the truth that was before them. Despite the want...the need... of getting that hope back, she knew it was not to be.

The portal...was _gone_.

So many possibilities filtered through her head. There were so many things that could have happened, many of which would make the situation oh so dire. She was not able to stop the images of possibilities from sifting through her head, growing dread eating away at her stomach.

Had the portal been erased? Had it been moved? Did Tilly come in and take it? Did something else happen? Maybe someone in ChalkZone had... No, that wouldn't make much sense. But...maybe it was still okay. Maybe the portal was just erased. Yes.. Maybe somehow Sophie had one back to the Real World. Blocky could have taken her. She could have erased it herself.

Trying her best to stay calm. Penny moved closer to Rudy and gently nudged him on his shoulder. The boy simply stood there, almost in a trance, as he stared at where the portal had been. "Rudy.." Penny said, trying to get his attention. "Try to draw a portal. Maybe we..."

"It won't work..."

Penny blinked her eyes a few times. "Excuse me..?"

"It won't work, Penny." Rudy turned his head. His face was the most haunting she had ever seen. What he said next nearly made her heart stop. "The chalkboard isn't there anymore..."

Penny gasped and took a step back. "I-It isn't...?" Rudy shook his head. "Are you sure?" She held her hand out in gesture. "M-Maybe we..."

"It's not there. I checked." Rudy's body shivered slightly as emotion swept through him. "_The chalkboard is gone_!" He shut his eyes tightly, turning his head to face the ground. He kicked the ground hard, knocking dirt up into the air. "Someone _took_ the chalkboard! And we don't have a damn idea where it is!"

"_Rudy_..." Penny whispered, horrified by both the news and her friend's behavior.

Rudy seethed, taking in a few quick breaths. His narrowed eyes were filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow. He shifted his gaze and looked at her again. Penny felt ice shoot through her body when she saw the look in his eyes. She found it hard to turn her eyes away despite how uncomfortable it was. Rudy looked almost...feral for a split second. The horror shined through his eyes quite clearly, and he looked like someone who had been boxed into a corner.

After a few seconds, Rudy swiftly settled himself down. His expression softened up and his body became more relaxed, less tense. He appeared to realize what he was doing and he gave Penny a regretful expression. He took a few steps back, taking in a couple breaths, looking left and right. It was as though he was making sure he didn't break out into a rampage or something, despite how silly that sounded.

"Penny, I..I'm sorry." Rudy whispered softly. "I don't know what came over me, I..." He put a hand on his head and shook it. "I just felt like...I don't know..."

"Shh...It's okay Rudy. I understand." Penny clasped her hands together, staring at her friend with concern. "You're just worried...frightened. So am I, Rudy." She cracked a small smile. "But don't worry. We are in this together. We'll...we'll think of something..."

Rudy hung his head. "But..what are we going to do?" He tilted his head so he could look at her in the eyes again. This time, his eyes were filled with only sadness. No anger to be seen. "We don't know where the chalkboard was taken, or by whom..."

Penny nodded her head. "That is true." She crossed her arms against her chest. "But.. we won't find out anything here. We will need get back into the Real World and figure things out from there."

"But Penny..." Rudy looked left and right. "Where should we come in from?"

Penny thought about this. There weren't too many places they accessed ChalkZone from. The main place was here, at Rudy's. There was also the school, but only during recess. At least during the times when Mr. Wilter didn't have anybody to watch during that time. The school was likely to be closed right now, so no one would see them coming in.

But that may not be a good idea. If they went in through the school, then they may have to contend with the security system. Even if they took care of that, how would they get out? The doors would be bolted shut until tomorrow, provided they are even open the next day. And what if there were people there? Penny realized that there still might be someone, like the time when she and Rudy snuck into the school, Mr. Wilter had been there, and he had nearly caught them. Penny wasn't sure if the school would be the right place to go.

There was one other place they could try, and it would be easier. They could try her place. She knew her mom would be busy all day. She always was. Her mother typically didn't bother her in her room. Her mom was pretty respectful of her 'territory', as it were, and thus would not enter the room while she was gone.

Yes, that would be the better option. It was closer, and it would certainly be easier explaining their appearance in her home than trying to tell the authorities why she and Rudy were trespassing in a building after hours.

"Let's head to my house, Rudy." Penny said. She made a motion with her arm. "We can have my mom drop us off at your house."

At this, Rudy tilted his head in confusion. "Uh..." He raised his finger up. "Would that be such a good idea...?"

"What do you mean?" Penny asked.

Rudy rubbed the back of his head. "Didn't you tell me something about you fainting and how your mom wouldn't leave you alone for a while because she wanted to make doubly sure that you were okay?" Penny nodded her head slowly at this. She waited for him to say more, wondering what his point was going to be. "Aren't you worried that she is going to try to check again? Or what if she went in your room to make sure you were okay?"

Penny's eyes widened at this. She had almost forgotten about her mishap with Von earlier today. She had been so concerned about the twister, and all that, it had slipped her mind. Her mother had done a thorough look at her already, however, that didn't mean she wouldn't try again. She was her daughter, after all.

"Then that gives us more of a reason to go there." Penny said slowly, her eyes filling with the glow of realization. "If I am not back there soon, and if my mom finds out I'm missing..." She tilted her head slightly so she could give Rudy a sideways glance. "We might have a police case on our hands."

Rudy winced at this. "It might be a bit early for that. She might just think..."

Penny shook her head. "I was in trouble today, Rudy. My mom is going to be extra worried." She turned her head away. "If we don't get back there...If I'm not home..."

There was no time to waste. They couldn't stay here for much longer. Her mother was going to realize she was gone. Her mother would surely come to her room to check on her, only to see she was missing. Her mother would panic and likely call the police, especially due to the fact that she stopped breathing. Even if her mother didn't... It wouldn't be wise to take the risk. Regardless of what she told her mother before, she knew they had to get back there and fast.

The sooner they got there, the sooner she could make sure that her mom isn't going to have a heart attack. And then they could get her mom to take them back to Rudy's, under the guise of spending the night there, and she and Rudy could spend the night trying to figure things out.

Looking over at Rudy, Penny made a quick gesture with her head. "Come on, Rudy. Let's get going."

Rudy didn't bother trying to argue with her this time. She was glad for this, happy that he was coming along with her instead of wasting precious time arguing about what they should do. It wouldn't take them too long to reach her place. The sooner they got there, the better. She could only hope they got there before her mother got worried sick.

She realized they still hadn't determined Sophie's location. This was definitely going to be problematic. Rudy's aunt would be worried sick if she's not home. Penny felt horrible about leaving ChalkZone before finding Sophie, but she also knew the devastation that could strike ChalkZone if another human had found out about it. They would have to find her later and hope that she was just with Blocky somewhere.

The two children ran off into the distance, their feet pounding the grassy ground with each stride. It shouldn't take them too long to reach her place. Hopefully there will be no more complications and that everything will just be smooth sailing from here on out.

But she could not shrug off the nagging feeling that the road ahead will be _a lot_ bumpier than she and Rudy would have liked...

sss

Rudy stared in shock at what laid before him, or rather, what didn't. He shook his head in denial, not wanting to believe it. He exchanged a look with Penny, hoping to see if she had some kind of solution or explanation. But there was just...nothing. She looked just as horrified as she did. Rudy turned his head away and looked back at the space in front of him.

The chalkboard... It... _It was gone_...

Rudy's mind raced at this realization. He found it hard to control his breathing. His worst fears had just become a reality. His chalkboard was gone completely. He had hoped that maybe it just been moved. But..no... He did not see it anywhere in his room. True, it could be somewhere else in the house, but... the chalkboard had never been moved like that before. And in order for that to happen, his aunt would have...

He trembled at the thought. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't believe that they had come out of a tough situation with the tornado, and then convincing Penny's mom that everything was all right, neither of which were easy to do. And now, to come here, and to see this...to come to such a sight... It was horrible. How could this have happened...?

He tried to rationalize the situation. He tried to think of something that didn't sound so bad. Maybe there was something that could have happened that still allowed ChalkZone to be safe. Maybe there was something that was missing. Maybe he just wasn't thinking hard enough.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized... No, he wasn't. There was only one conclusion that this could mean. Only one direction that this could go. There was no way Sophie was strong enough to drag the chalkboard around. She was too little. But his aunt...

The idea of his aunt finding out about ChalkZone made his heart skip a beat. He tried to be more positive. He tried to think of something, but his mind was swirling with a storm of thoughts, a headache sweeping through his skull. His aunt...she was the only one who could have moved the chalkboard. She was the only adult in the house. And there was no way she could have moved it without...

_Oh no_..

Rudy dropped down onto his knees. He felt Penny's hand on his shoulder. She looked at him with great worry. Rudy kept his eyes downcast as his mind was raging with thoughts that just woudn't leave him alone. Horrible imagery of what coud happen as a result of this...

_And all because he didn't erase the fucking portal_.

This was all his fault. He should have known better. He should have made sure the portal was closed. He should have erased it as soon as he came into ChalkZone. And now, because of him..of his stupidity... There was no doubt in his mind that his aunt knew about ChalkZone.

Or did she? Another thought came to Rudy's head. It was no less comforting. But what if it was stolen? He remembered how Terry had been on the streets earlier, not far from where he lived. What if she had something to do with this? What if she had snuck into his house and stolen the chalkboard? Or maybe she tricked his aunt into letting her in. Not that it made the situation any better, but it was still another plausibility.

He was glad that at least the problem with Sophie was solved. When he and Penny came, she was busy drawing in one of his notebooks and hadn't really noticed him sneaking into the room. Blocky must have dropped her off and left. This was the only thing that made him smile. At least Sophie was safe and sound.

But his happiness was short lived. There was still the issue of the portal. He had to figure out what happened. He looked down at Sophie. Perhaps she would know. He and Penny had been so frozen in shock, they hadn't bothered to ask Sophie about what had happened. He licked his lips nervously, hoping that Sophie had forgiven him after their previous...spat, if it could be called that.

"Hey, Soph...?"

To his relief, when Sophie looked over at him, she smiled broadly. She immediately got up onto her legs and spread her arms out. "_Rudy_!"

Rudy grunted as Sophie leaped into his arms and held on tightly. Rudy giggled, along with Penny. He grabbed onto her and held the little girl in his arms. "Good to see you again, Soph!" He looked left and right nervously. "You...uh...forgive me for being a _jerk_ earlier?"

Sophie stared at him for a moment. Then her smile broaded and she cuddled up against him. She planted a quick peck on the cheek and called out, "Rudy! Rudy!"

"I'll take that as a yes." Rudy said with a grin. Then his smile faded slightly, worry becoming more dominant on his mind once more. "Hey.. Do you know where my chalkboard went, Sophie? I can't seem to find it?" At this, Sophie pointed towards the door. "Did someone take it?"

Sophie nodded her head. "Drag it away!"

"Who?" Rudy asked. Before Sophie could answer, there was a loud shout. It was enough to make him and Penny cringe, although Sophie merely looked surprised.

"_Rudy Tabootie! Answer me_!"

Rudy sucked in a sharp breath. That was his Aunt Tilly, and she sounded furious. He could feel his heart begin to race against his chest as he casted a worried glance to Penny. Although there was a chance that this did not at all relate to ChalkZone, with how angry she sounded...

Rudy quickly set his little cousin down. He looked towards the door. Thankfully, his aunt wasn't coming up the steps yet. But judging from how enraged she sounded, he knew it was only a matter of time before she would do something. Her tone of voice had some frustration in it, as if she had been trying to reach him for a while. He bit his lip. If that's the case..then he better not keep her waiting much longer, or she will come up.

He turned to Penny and quickly handed her the little girl. "Penny, watch Sophie. I need to go speak to my aunt."

"Rudy!" Penny called out. Rudy stopped and looked over his shoulder tentatively. "Do you...want me to come with?"

Rudy thought about this. He would certainly like the company, since he knew his aunt was going to tear him a new one. Penny's company would help him through the ordeal. Soon, however, he shook his head. "No. It's best if I do this alone. My aunt may send you away, anyway."

Penny nodded her head. "I understand." She steadied Sophie in her arms. She watched as Rudy left, giving him a sympathetic look. "...good luck, Rudy."

Rudy paused at this. He looked over at Penny. Slowly, he smiled at her. "Thanks..." His smile fading, he turned around and walked away.

The atmosphere as he exited his bedroom and headed towards the stairs was intense. He hadn't even figured out why he was in trouble, nor did his aunt yell for him again. But the air had somehow gotten so thick... So tense... There was a sudden chill that made him shiver. He wrapped his arms against his chest, rubbing them to generate some form of heat.

It was almost unbearable walking down the steps. Normally, this was not a big deal. But today, due to what was going on... It was more like torture. He could feel himself growing more and more tense as he went down the stairs. Each step felt like something sharp was shooting up through his legs. He couldn't stop gritting his teeth, his mind practically numb, unable to think of anything except for what he might be in for when he reached the bottom step.

He could see the shadow of his aunt. She was standing by the living room. She must have heard him coming. She was waiting for him. Rudy was usually happy to see her, but today... This was even worse than the stupid chores thing. He was almost.._terrified_...to come down. A part of him wanted to run away so badly. But he felt his body gravitating towards her, as if she were emitting an invisible force that was taking him to her.

And then he saw her face. As he came around, as he turned his head to look, there she stood. The moment he saw her face, he almost crouched down and wet himself. She wore the most furious expression he had ever seen her muster. _If looks could kill_...

Rudy swallowed nervously, feeling a bitter taste move down his throat. Aunt Tilly just glared at him, her arms folded tightly against her chest. He continued to stare at her, unable to turn his gaze away. Soon, he mustered up the weakest and most nervous of smiles and raised his hand in a quick wave.

"H-Hi, Aunt Tilly..." Rudy tried to sound friendly, but he was unable to stop the cautious tone of voice. "Wh-What did you want...? M-More chores...?" He was practically begging at this point for it to just be more chores. Unfortunately, he was _not_ that lucky.

"Rudy Tabootie.. Do you mind explaining to me..." Tilly's voice wasn't necessarily cold, but it still sent a shiver through his spine. "...why there was a _portal into another dimension_ on your chalkboard...?"

Rudy's heart skipped a beat, nearly stopping altogether. His eyes widened, and he felt like several rocks had just been dumped on his shoulder. He was unable to speak, even breathe, for several seconds. His aunt didn't beat around the bush, and she had just confirmed what he had been fearing this whole time.

His breathing took on a shaky form, and he could feel sweat beginning to pour down his face. He tried to think of something, anything, to say. He tried to think of a way to get her to believe it was all just a dream. But nothing would come. All he could do was stand there and cower in her presense. The way she continued to glare at him... He was unable to think of any kind of lie to get him out of this. And nothing he could say would work anyway. If she had seen the evidence...

No, there had to be something he could do. _Anything_... This..this couldn't be happening... Please, don't let it be so.. Please..let this all be just one big nightmare... Soon he would wake up and everything was going to be okay.

Rudy yelped when he felt his aunt grip his shouder tightly. She yanked him forward. He ignored the pain in his shoulder as he stared up at her, wide-eyed. "I saw the portal, Rudy. I saw there was another world there. Just..just what were you _thinking_? How could you have... You didn't tell your folks, did you?"

"I-I..." Rudy gulped and shook his head. "N-No..I..."

Aunt Tilly growled at this. "How could you be so wreckless?! You could have gotten hurt!"

Rudy raised his hands up at his sides. "Please, Aunt Tilly! I-It's not what you think! It's not dangerous! I..."

Aunt Tilly released his shoulder and took a step back. "I can't believe that you did something like this behind your parents' backs. All this time, they thought you just..snuck outside or something when you wanted to be alone. But you...you were going off into this..." Her teeth gritted. ".._alternate dimension_... with gawd knows what danger! What if you gotten really hurt? We wouldn't know what to do or where to look!"

"Please, just listen to me..." Rudy begged, his heart racing against his chest. "I can explain!"

"Oh I bet you can! But you _chose_ not to tell any of us about this!" Aunt Tilly sneered at him, her anger beginning to reach its boiling point. Her face took on a red shade, making Rudy whimper and cringe away from her. "How long..."

"How long what...?" Rudy whimpered softly.

"_How long were you going to this fucking dimension_?!" Aunt Tilly snapped at him, her voice raising in volume.

Rudy cowered away from her. He tried to take back away from her, but his feet felt as though they were glued to the ground. "Two years..."

"_Two years_?!" His aunt wailed. "And in all that time, you _never_ thought of telling your mother _or_ your father?!"

"N-No..I...I didn't want them to worry..." Rudy was getting desperate. He tried to think of something to say to ease his aunt's mind. But what could he do to calm down an enraged woman? "Please...it's _not_ that dangerous..."

Aunt Tilly narrowed her eyes at this. "Then why didn't you tell your folks? If it wasn't so bad, why didn't you say anything?"

Rudy froze at this. He looked left and right, trying to think of what to say. How could he explain the situation to his aunt? How could he get her to understand just what would happen to the zoners if the truth came out? Would she even care about their fate? Would she dismiss them just because they weren't human?

There was no turning back. As much as Rudy wanted to, there was nothing that could be done to get him out of this mess. He was no choice but to tell his aunt the truth. And right now he needed to focus on trying to calm her down. If he convinced her that the world wasn't dangerous, maybe she'd relax more. But then, how would he explain why he didn't tell anyone...? He bit his lip. He had to try _something_.

"I...I didn't think it was a big deal..." Rudy said. He flinced at this. It was the _worst_ lie he had ever come up with. "I didn't think my parents would really mind it."

Aunt Tilly cocked up an eyebrow at this. "_You didn't think your folks would mind it if you spend time in a potentially dangerous alternate dimension_?!"

"_It's not dangerous_!" Rudy cried out. "_The inhabitants aren't dangerous! Penny and I are fine in there_!" He froze when he realized he had spilled out Penny's name. Before he could correct it, his aunt apparently caught it.

"You not ony endangered yourself, but you took Penny in there as well?!" Aunt Tilly gripped her head, her hair flying upwards. "I can't believe this... How could you endanger the life of your _best friend_?!"

Rudy waved his hands out in front of him. "I'm telling you! It's safe!" He raised his hands up like he did before, this time, bringing his arms closer to his chest as he gave a nervous smile. "Even Sophie was able to move around in there without..."

Rudy realized he had blown it. He put a hand over his mouth, his eyes bulging open. It was one thing to say he brought Penny in, but to admit that _Sophie_ was in that chalk world as well..?

Rudy winced when he saw the look in his aunt's eyes. Bulging open with anger, her face's red color deepening. He could see her teeth being exposed as she clenched them. Her body began to shake at the realization that her only daughter had been romping around in this alternate dimension.

For several moments, even minutes, all she did was glare at him. He could hear her emit a low growl, but now words came out. She just kept staring at him, giving him a look of anger and disbelief. Rudy could see her body shake harder as the emotion swelled up in her. Rudy could feel his own body trembling in fear. He had screwed up. He _really_ messed things up this time. He wanted to smack himself for such a foolish statement. How could he have let this slip out?

The tense, uneasy silence of the air came to an end when he heard Aunt Tilly exhale slowly, her breath escaping through her clenched teeth. All the rage she was feeling was present in that breath, and it made his blood run cold.

"You took Sophie into that wretched world...?" Aunt Tilly asked. "Rudy, I'm very disappointed in you... Not only did you endanger Penny's life, but you endangered my daughter's!"

"I-I didn't mean to...! She just..got in and..." Rudy stammered. "Look, I got her out before the staplegator and the rhino..."

"I thought you said it was _safe_!" Aunt Tilly cut him off.

Rudy realized he had just made another grave mistake. "I-I..." He fell silent, unsure of what else to say. Now he wished more than ever that he had Penny by his side. She could have helped him through this.

"It's a good thing, then, that I sold that chalkboard of yours." Aunt Tilly said coolly. Rudy shot her a shocked expression. "Don't look at me that way. You should be thanking me for getting rid of that...that _gateway into hell_..."

"Y-You _sold_ it...?" Rudy breathed, his wide eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "How...how could you have...?"

Aunt Tilly shook her head. "Don't you _dare_ try to pull that on me, young man." She curled her lip up in a show of anger. "_You_ are the one who kept lying to your own parents...your own family, about this other dimension. _You_ were the one who constantly endangered yourself, your friend, and even your own cousin!" She took a step forward. "_You_ have no right to get upset with me! It is _you_ who screwed up! It is _you_ who has a lot to answer for!"

At this, anger surged to the surface of Rudy's mind. He glared back at his aunt. "You sold my chalkboard without talking to me first! You violated my privacy, my property! You didn't bother trying to ask me if I wanted to get rid of that chalk board!" He took in several breaths, trying to control his raging mind. "Just...just _who_ did you sell it off to?!"

"That is none of your business!" Aunt Tilly snarled at him. She reached for him again, but this time, Rudy swatted her hand away.

"Yes it is my business! That was _my_ chalkboard!" Rudy jabbed a finger in her direction. "_And you stole it_! You broke my trust in you and you..." His voice devolved into a growl.

"You already destroyed my trust in you when I found out what you had been hiding from us! You should be ashamed, Rudy!" Aunt Tilly hissed at him as she started to advance towards him. "You screwed up big time! Do you have any idea what might have happened if..." She shook her head, closing her eyes. She looked like she was having a hard time coming up with words to say. "You have been romping around this dangerous world for two fucking years! Two long years! In all that time, you could have gotten _killed_! But instead of doing the right thing and telling us about it, you chose to keep it a secret!"

Rudy felt his heart pounding harder as he was being backed up against the wall. He looked left and right, gritting his teeth, trying to find a way out. "I had no choice! I couldn't endanger the lives of the people who live there! I..."

"Oh, so these filthy creatures are worth your time and effort, but _not_ your own family?!" Accused his aunt.

"No! It's _not_ like that! Please just..." Rudy tried to regain his composure, but his aunt's behavior was making it hard. He could feel her anger from here, and it was filling up his chest and heart. It intermixed with his own. He knew if he didn't get away soon...

Suddenly, his back touched the wall. He was cornered. He had nowhere to go. All he could do was stare up at his aunt, who had boxed him in completely, and hope that soon, so very soon, this would be all over.

"If that is how much you _love_ your family..." Aunt Tilly's voice was laced in cold sarcasm. "..then I am glad you won't be able to use that chalkboard of yours to create anymore of your _worthless crap_!"

Rudy froze for a moment, feeling as though a knife just ripped through his chest. Then the burning anger took him over, feeling his face heat up. "_You bitch_!" He spat. "I worked hard on my art, and you know.."

"_Oh shut up, you insensitive brat_!"

Rudy let out a cry of pain when Aunt Tilly struck him across the face. The force of the impact sent him tumbling to the floor. He hit the ground in a loud thud, his shoulder smashing up against it.

He laid there for several moments. His mind was in a state of shock. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. He just rested on the ground, laying on his side. He could feel the dull ache in his shoulder, the stinging pain in his cheek that his aunt just struck. He slowly touched it, feeling the warmth of when the palm hat hit him. He felt all the anger from before melt away, replaced with horrific realization.

He slowly turned his head to look up at his aunt. He flinched when he saw her still glaring at him, her teeth bared. Her hand was still raised up, as if she were getting ready to strike him again. Slowly, Rudy climbed up to his feet, keeping his head and shoulders low as he stared at his aunt cautiously, his eyes remaining wide in disbelief.

She had struck him... He couldn't believe that she would..do such a thing... He had never been hurt by her before. She had never acted this way to him before. Rudy could feel his heart shattering inside his chest. A cold feeling rose up inside of him, and he felt a bitter taste in his mouth. In that moment, the trust he had in his aunt was replaced by a hurt feeling of betrayal. He could feel his eyes begin to well up, a very faint whimper escaping his mouth.

His aunt's eyes flickered upon seeing his tears, and then widened. The woman appeared to realize what she had just done. Her scowl was rapidly taken over by a horrified look. She put a hand to her mouth as she stared down at Rudy. "R-Rudy..." She choked. "I-I..."

Tears flowing down his cheeks, Rudy took a step back. He sniffled loudly, trying to fight back the urge to cry. He scrambled to get away from Aunt Tilly when he saw her reach for him. He hunched his body, trembling like a leaf.

"Please... Rudy... sweetie..." Aunt Tilly cooed. "I'm...I'm sorry... Please..."

Trembling, his lip quivering, tears blurring his vision, Rudy rushed past his aunt, and bolted towards his room. He ignored her pleads for him to come back.

sss

"_Rudy! Please! Come back_!"

Tilly tried to call out to Rudy. She begged for him to come back. But it was too late. Rudy was gone. He ran way from her, and seconds later, she could hear the sound of the door being slammed. She was left alone, standing in silence, in shock at what had just happened.

She couldn't believe what she did. She just...she just struck her own nephew... She knocked him into the ground. She insulted his work and she had called him a brat. She...she couldn't believe that she... Oh, how could she have done that to him? How could she have let her anger get _this_ far...? She stared at her hand, the one that had been used to slap Rudy. She could still feel the sting from when she made contact. Staring at the palm made tears of her own begin to creep behind her eyes.

She had been angry at Rudy for lying. She had been angry that he had kept this world a secret from them. She was so infuriated...but that was only because she loved him so much. She just...didn't want him to get hurt. She was so scared that something could have happened. And then Penny and Sophie...

But that was _no_ excuse for what she had done to him. She had boxed him against the wall and yelled at him. He had been trying to explain to her the situation, but she just kept biting his head off. She treated him like some kind of...of _criminal_... And she wouldn't let him explain properly. He was too frightened and scared...because she had been acting like such a...such a...

She could still see the look in his eyes after she struck him. He looked so..._hurt_..so _betrayed_... She had tried to comfort him, tried to help him feel better, tried to apologize... But it was too late. The damage had already been done.

She had broken the boy's trust in her. She had only been worried about him...and she went and broke his trust. She hurt him mentally and physically. She was his aunt, for crying out loud. How..how could she have...

Emotion swelled up inside of her. The horrible guilt ate away at her stomach, making her feel sick. She dropped down on her knees, her body trembling in disbelief. She wrapped her arms around herself, her teeth clenching, the tears flowing down her face. Unable to take it all, she broke down crying, her sobs echoing in the room.

In a wet, trembling voice, she whispered, "I'm so very sorry, Rudy..." A loud sniffle. "I-I didn't mean it... I didn't mean it..." Her voice vanished, replaced with nothing but whimpers and cries.

sss

Blocky let out a soft groan as he opened up his eyes flowly. He blinked a few times, his vision blurry. He could barely make out anything around him. It was so dark... And the shapes that he could see, they were too blurry for him to fully realize what they were.

His head hurt him so badly. He tried to fight back the feeling of nausea, his head swirling in pain. He felt as though he had been hit with something. And his eyes... They were so heavy, he found it hard to keep them open. It was a struggle just to remain conscious. Just what...what had happened to him...?

The rectangular zoner hardly remembered what happened. He recalled something about a tornado..And he thought he had gone into the Real World.. But that's it. Everything else was just a blur to him. He tried to call upon his memories. He tried to search through his mind and find out information on what happened to him. But he could find nothing.

Well...perhaps he should at least try to get up and walk around. Maybe if he explored this place, he could figure out where he was and go from there. Maybe, when he got back into ChalkZone, he took a wrong turn or something and merely fell asleep. It was possible. He didn't always have the best sense of direction.

But when he attempted to move, he realized something was very wrong. His arms...they wouldn't move. His legs... And what was this pain eminating from them? Why did he hurt so bad? He yanked his arm a little harder, only to cause himself to scream in agony. His body tightened up, giving a quick shiver, before he relaxed as the pain, thankfully, went away. He took in a few quick breaths.

What was going on? Where was he? Why was he immobilized? Why was he in pain? He looked left and right as his vision rapidly cleared, fear eating away at his insides.

"R-Rudy...?" Blocky called out hopefully. "P-Penny...?"

A chilling voice greeted his ears. "Those _brats_ aren't going to be able to help you..."

Blocky whipped his head around. "Who said that?" He cried, his body shaking. "Wh-Who's there?"

He heard footsteps. Two pairs of them, and they were heading his way. He turned his head to see where it was coming from. Forward, in front of him. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to make out the shapes. Shadows formed on the ground, creating even darker areas. Soon, the figures had gotten close enough for him to realize what they were.

Two adult humans. A man and a woman. Significantly different ages. Both of them smiling slyly at him...

Blockly shivered at their expressions. He could tell, just from looking at them, that they had nothing but ill intentions for him. He struggled harder, trying to get himself free. But he only caused himself more pain. He eventually stopped trying, lowering his head as he tried to cope with the pain. He looked back at the adults, seeing no sympathy in their eyes.

Blocky took a moment to look at his left arm. His eyes bulgd open in horror when he saw that the cuff used to keep him there was serrated. And when he struggled, it cut against him. No wonder it hurt so badly... He looked from there and then back to the adults, whimpering as he looked into their malicious eyes.

"Who..who are you...?" Blocky whimpered.

"I am Dr. Von Doktor." The man said. He gestured to the woman. "And ziz iz Terry Bouffant."

Blocky gasped in horror. He recognized those names. Rudy had told him about them. In that instant, Blocky realized just what kind of trouble he was in. Out of fear, he started to struggle again.

"Oh yes, struggle, you chalk creature." Terry said with a sneer. "You are going to be our _guest_ for quite some time. And we are going to have so much..._fun_..."

Blocky widened his eyes in terror.


	11. Plans

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 11: Plans

_**What lies ahead is a mystery, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare your next step.**_

sss

"Oh Rudy...I can't believe she said that to you..." Penny whispered softly. "I can't believe she _slapped_ you..."

Rudy nodded his head numbly in agreement. "Y-Yeah... Me neither..."

Penny remained silent. She wasn't sure what to say to her friend. She was shocked by this turn of events. She had never thought things would taken such a horrible path... She was expecting...something. After all, his aunt was yelling quite loudly. But...but for this to... She was unsure of just how to respond to it.

She watched her friend with a saddened expression. Rudy was sitting against his bed, his bed touching it. He was staring off at nothing in particular. He was barely responding to Sophie. The little girl had been trying to get him to play, but soon, she appeared to realize that Rudy was upset. So at the moment, she was trying to cheer him up by getting him to draw or showing him some drawings. It didn't appear to work, but Sophie was still trying.

Penny had to admire Sophie for her persistence. Sometimes, this trait can be a bad thing or get them in trouble, like the situation with ChalkZone. Other times, it was a great quality to have. In this case, she had a strong hunch it was the only thing keeping Rudy from falling into a deep depression.

Right now, Rudy was largely unresponsive. He would still reply at times, but only in quick, short messages. He stayed to himself, hardly ever looked at her, hardly turned his head. He looked almost like he had seen a ghost.

It was uncomfortable for Penny see Rudy like this. So unlike himself. Usually, he'd be talking, drawing, doing whatever to get his mind off of what was bothering him. But at the moment, he was just...not doing anything. He was like a lump on a leg. It was at these moments that Penny was most concerned for him. To get him in that state, whatever had happened must have been pretty bad.

And from what Rudy told her, it was. It was just as they had both feared. His aunt found out about ChalkZone. This, in of itself, was a devastating piece of news, which left ChalkZone's future in a place of urgency.

However, it didn't stop there. Rudy didn't describe too much, but Penny was able to get the gist of what had gone on.

Rudy's aunt had rounded on him, and yelled at him for his 'careless behavior'. She had boxed him in a corner and got increasingly angry as the conversation went on. Then one thing led to another, then she found out she herself had gone in there, and the incident with Sophie... Understandably, the woman had gotten even more furious. After all, she didn't know anything about ChalkZone, other than it being another world, in another dimension.

But when Rudy tried to explain... She had gotten _angrier_. She had taken it as Rudy 'not caring enough of the family' or something like that. This did boil Penny's blood, as she found it hard to believe that Tilly would say something like that about her own nephew. At the same time, she could hardly blame her. She just felt that was anger talking, and that she just needed a bit of time to cool down. She wished both of them had just left before things escalated.

Sadly, they didn't, which resulted in Tilly apparently insulting Rudy and _striking_ him down. Penny had to admit, she found that hard to believe. Tilly never came off as someone who was particularly aggressive. But when she saw the red mark on Rudy's face and the bruise on his shoulder...

Penny hoped that the two of them could reconcile soon. She had a feeling that both of them were upset. Well she could certainly tell Rudy was. But there was no doubt in her mind that Tilly was also suffering from this. She imagined that she must have been horrified when she found out what she did, and perhaps tried to make amends. She would understand why Rudy would choose to get away from her, however. Now may not be a good time for an apology. Both parties needed to calm down.

"Rudy..." Penny called out as she stared at her friend. Rudy didn't reply. "Rudy." Penny tried again, this time in a louder voice. Rudy turned his head slightly, but did not look at her. At this acknowledgement, Penny said, "In about an hour, why don't you go down to see your aunt? I'm sure that.."

Rudy shook his head. "_No_."

Penny's eyes widened when she heard just how cold he sounded. This wasn't like Rudy. She bit her lip, raising her head up slightly. "What do you mean? She's your aunt. You were both just angry. You should try to make amends with each other."

Rudy let out a soft growl. "And risk getting hit _again_...?" He turned his head slightly. He looked at Penny with a narrowed eye. "I'm sure I'm going to love that again."

"Oh come on, Rudy. Don't be this way." Penny pleaded with him. "This isn't who you are. You don't hold grudges for that long."

"I...I just don't want to..." Rudy said, his voice stern. There was still that cold edge, but it had softened up a little. "You weren't _there_, Penny. You didn't see the look in her eyes. You didn't see..._any of it_."

Penny nodded her head. "True... But that doesn't mean I don't understand. People get into fights a lot, even between loved ones. Don't let this eat you up inside, Rudy. Let yourself cool down, and then speak to her. You both should make amends with each other."

At this, Rudy shot her a glare that made her stiffen. "What did I do?"

"Well..you did keep this world a secret and you did lie to her and your parents, and Sophie did get into ChalkZone..."

"_How is any of that my fault_?!" Rudy cried. Sophie cringed at this and she moved away from him. "And we got Sophie back and she was not harmed!" Rudy gripped his head. He seethed loudly, looking like he was trying so hard to calm himself down. "Just...just why should I apologize for any of that? You and I both know.."

Penny cut him off. "Yes, I know, Rudy. We have a good reason to keep that world safe. And yes, Sophie was fine. However, we know that world better than anyone in the Real World. We know how the inhabitents are. We know what is dangerous and what isn't. We built relationships in that world, and we have grown a desire to care about the people there."

Rudy stared at her. His frown slowly softened up. He gave a small nod, acknowledging what she was saying. Penny was glad that he seemed to understand where she was getting with this. So she continued.

"It is easy to think that Tilly was being unfair. But Rudy...she doesn't know that world like we do. She doesn't know what to expect from it. You know that, don't you...?"

"Y-Yeah...I do..."

"And you know that your aunt was just worried sick about you...right..?"

"Yes."

Penny narrowed her eyes at this, giving a small nod. "With that in mind, can you blame her for reacting the way she did when she found out? She just..doesn't understand, Rudy. And she was so angry that it clouded her judgment." She held out her hand in gesture, watching as Rudy lowered his head and turned it away. "I think you should give her another chance. Try to explain to her about this world. Try to get her to understand." She smiled the best she should. "I'm sure this next conversation will go much better than the first one."

There was a long silence between the two. Penny wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she did not dare speak up again. She gave Rudy all the time he needed to reply. His narrowed eyes, and the few small grunts she heard indicated he was struggling with an answer. He must be so conflicted...not that she blamed him.

Even if Rudy decided not to do anything tonight, she knew that he would, eventually, do the right thing. This was Rudy that she was talking about. He always tries to fix things he broke. He was strong enough to admit when he was wrong. He would always apologize if he upset someone.

And she was certain that Tilly was the same way. She was probably sitting down there, waiting for him to come down, or perhaps she was getting ready to come up. Penny knew she didn't mean to hit Rudy; it was just an act of the moment powered by emotion. People say and do things they don't mean when they are enraged.

Rudy finally turned his head back towards her. Penny pressed her lips together as she waited for his answer. A few more seconds passed before he shook his head from side to side.

"I'm sorry, Penny. I-I...I don't think I can do it..." Rudy said softly. Upon seeing Penny's face, he looked away in shame. "I know... But... I'm just..afraid, Penny. I...just don't know if I can face her again."

Penny frowned slightly at this. "You've faced challenges before, Rudy."

"Yeah, but this is _different_." Rudy replied.

"_How_?" Asked Penny.

"She's my aunt. I've known her for longer than you." Rudy said softly. "I've known her ever since I was born. She used to babysit me when my parents were away, back before my mom decided to stay at home." Rudy closed his eyes. "Aunt Tilly and I grew close. I would have trusted my life with her."

"I see... And for her to strike you..." Penny said.

Rudy finished, "It broke something inside of me. I...I felt like I..couldn't trust her anymore." Rudy reopened his eyes and looked at Penny. "I know I must sound pretty selfish right now. It's just..how I feel..."

"I understand, Rudy." Penny said. "Families..can be pretty complicated. They're not always perfect, and every one has their flaws." Rudy nodded his head slowly at this. "But Rudy...you shouldn't let that control you. It's only going to get worse if you wait too long. You and your aunt should make amends as soon as possible."

"What if she hits me again? What if that becomes..._normal_?" Rudy bit his lip. "I-I don't want..."

"I'm sure it was not intentional. Rudy, do you really think your aunt would ever hit you on purpose?" Penny's eyes widened at this.

"I..." Rudy shook his head. "No. I don't."

Penny nodded her head. "Then you know what must be done."

Rudy was quiet for a few moments. Penny and Sophie watched him from a distance, neither of them making a move. They simply waited for Rudy to make a reply. After a few moments, Rudy climbed up to his feet. Penny leaned forward a little, hoping that he was going to do the right thing, either now or later.

But instead, Rudy just went towards his ladder. He hung his head, gritting his teeth. He didn't look like he had lot of confidence right now. He casted a saddened glance at her and Sophie. He then looked away.

"I'm sorry. I just..." Rudy grabbed onto the ladder. "I just need some time to think..."

Holding onto Sophie, Penny nodded her head once. "Sleep on it if you need to, But Rudy..." The boy gave her a backwards glance. "At least try. You both will feel better when you do."

"Hmmph..." Grumbled Rudy as he climbed up the steps to his bed. Penny watched him sadly. There was nothing she could do except watch as he pulled himself in the covers in preparation for sleep.

Penny wished there was something she could do or say to make the situation better. But she had said all she needed to, or could have. The rest was up to Rudy and Tilly. She hoped that one of them would make a move and apologize to the other. And she hoped that it would be soon; she couldn't imagine how worse this might get if neither of them spoke to the other for who knows how long.

Penny felt Sophie squirming in her arms. She set the little girl down and watched as she rushed over to the bed. The tyke jumped up and down, trying to get Rudy's attention. She bit her lip at this. Sophie didn't seem to fully understand what was going on, and how could she? She was only two years old.

Penny looked at the time. She flinched when she saw how late it was. Looking at the window, she saw just how pitch black it was, save for the street lights that popped on. Now would be a good time to go to sleep. They did have school tomorrow, after all.

For a moment, she wondered if she should head into ChalkZone and see how the others were doing. She still needed to find Blocky and thank him for taking Sophie back home, and for keeping her company while in ChalkZone. She could do it now, actually. There was still a bit of time, and Blocky is probably at his Night Zone house, getting ready for bed.

However, she quickly decided against it. With the situation regarding Tilly, she had a feeling that if she saw her missing, she might get angry at Rudy all over again. Tilly must know she was here; her mom would have told her. And if she didn't... Penny bit her lip. Yeah, best wait until tomorrow before she did anything, just to be safe.

Besides, it wasn't like it was that important to head down right now. Blocky was probably crawling into bed right now anyway. He must be so exhausted and tired... Yeah he was probably sleeping right now. She could wait until tomorrow to see him.

Penny got out her sleeping bag and she prepared for sleep.

sss

Blocky tried again to squirm. He tried to yank his arm out. There had to be a way to do this. He was rather flat. He should be able to do this. He was a piece of paper after all. If he could just try hard enough...

He hissed in pain when he felt the jagged parts of the cuffs cut into him. Not enough to draw blood, thankfully. He immediately stopped, allowing the pain to dissipate seconds later. He shivered as he just laid there his mind racing, the reality of the situation weighing down on him.

He was trapped. _Truly trapped_... He had been captured by the two humans he never wanted to meet. At least Vinnie wasn't here. That would have been even worse. Not that it made his current situation any better. He was strapped down with serrated cuffs, unable to use his 2D powers to get anywhere. The only way he could move at all was if Terry or Von removed the cuffs, and he knew they'd only do that when they were watching him carefully. They were not going to allow him to get way so easily.

He couldn't stop shivering. He was not able to calm himself down. How could he? He was out of ChalkZone in a dangerous world. He was exposed to the elements here. And he was trapped with humans that meant him harm. He had no idea just what they plan on doing with him, but their expressions... That was all he needed to know that they had nothing good planned for him. Even if he did get out, he didn't know where he was or how to get back home. If it rained, he would die. And what if someone else saw him? Blocky had no idea what to expect, and the fear of the unknown gripped his heart.

How was he going to get out of this mess? How would he inform Rudy and Penny of what happened? He knew they would realize he was missing, but they wouldn't know what happened to him. Sophie may not be able to tell them; she was just a little kid. And even if she could, she didn't see him get captured.

He could only hope that Rudy and Penny eventually put two and two together and realize what happened to him. His friends were his only chance of getting out of here. He was not going to be able to do this alone.

At that realization, he took a moment to look around the room. The two humans had left him alone. This was both a blessing _and_ a curse. It was nice that they were away from him. At least they can't do anything while they were gone. But...he still didn't like being alone. And it was so quiet here..and so dark... He could hardly see anything. Even after his eyes adjusted, he could just make out a few shadows and shapes and that was it.

The quietness began to eat away at him. It irritated his ears, causing a dull drumming effect in his head. It was hard to explain. It was just so.._uncomfortable_, that he wished something would happen. He'd give anything for some noise, even the dripping of water.

Unable to do anything, Blocky just stared up at the ceiling. He took in a deep breath and sighed. He still couldn't stop his shivering, still couldn't get himself to relax. All he could do was lay there and feel his stomach being eaten away by the terror that was taking a hold of him. He wished that something..._anything_...would take him away from here. But he was not going to be so lucky.

The terrified zoner could only hope that one of his friends realizes what happened before it was too late. He didn't know how long these humans planned on keeping him, or if he was still going to be alive afterwards. The thought that he might die here... He felt ice shoot through his heart at the possibility.

He felt tears form in his eyes. He couldn't imagine what his friends might be thinking. They were either worried sick about him, or they would think he was fine. Either way made his stomach twist in knots. He gritted his teeth as the tears came faster. He closed his eyes, and let his cheeks sting with the salty-tasting liquid.

Please..let someone take him out of here... Let someone make this nightmare go away... Let someone come and end this... _He just wanted to go home_...

Suddenly, there was a bright light. He stiffened up, letting out a yelp. He turned his head away as something illuminated on his face. He tried to see who it was, but the light obscured them. All he could make out was a bright light in his eyes, and some kind of dark shape. He only knew that it had to be Von or Terry.

When they got closer, Blocky began to struggle left and right. "No, please! _Don't hurt me_! Just let me go! _Please_!"

The figure paused, watching him struggle. Blocky didn't dare look, afraid of what he might see. He just trumbled and tugged frantically at his limbs, despite what might happen to them if he used too much force. A cold cackle eventually froze him in place, and he looked over with a wide eye as the light was moved away.

Von stood there, smiling at him. In his hands was a lantern. He must have been using it to navigate the dark hallway of..wherever he was. Blocky had no clue, and at the moment, he didn't care. He just wanted to go home. Was that so wrong? Was that really such a hard request to grant? What did he ever do to Von? What did he do to deserve this kind of treatment?

"You're zuch a..fazcinating zubject." Von spoke in a coldly professional voice. "I've never zeen zomething quite like _you_. How remarkable..." Von moved closer. He began to pace around Blocky, examining him through a scrutinizing eye. "I wonder how you can live like _ziz... Made of chalk_... How you can eat, live, all zat..."

"I-I can just tell you." Blocky suggested. He offered a nervous smile. "Do we really have to resort to anything _drastic_...?"

Von stared at him for a moment. He lowered the lantern on the ground, which ended up making his face appear darker, more threatening. The man folded one arm against himself while his hand on the other arm rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Zat might zound like a good idea... But I zink I will pazz."

The smile never left his face. It sent chills down Blocky's spine. As the man moved around, he struggled to keep his eyes on him. He had no idea what this man was going to do to him. He didn't know what he was planning, what he was going to do to him, and it unnerved Blocky terribly.

Around and around the man walked. At this point, he was no longer speaking. He was just silent. He paced around the zoner slowly, eyeing him up and down like he was just a piece of meat. Blocky felt more tears drip down as he whimpered softly. He increased his rate of breath as he kept his eyes glued on the man's cold ones. What was he going to _do_ to him...?

"All ziz time, I zought perpetual motion waz going to be my ticket to fame, but I waz _wrong_." The man finally said, breaking the eerie silence. Blocky watched him, his heart beating faster when the man's words began to hint at more of what he was going to do. "I have found zomething elze, zomething far more imprezzive." He stopped at Blocky's side. "And zat, my rectangle friend..."

Blocky let out a gasp when the man suddenly leaned in much closer. His head short forward, becoming only inches away from him. Blocky leaned away the best he could, clenching his teeth in fear.

".._iz you_."

Blocky took in several quick breaths, his heart pounding against his chest, a cold shiver moving through his body. He darted his eyes wildly from side to side, trying in vain to find a way out. He winced when he felt the man grab his head and force him to look at him.

"Now..._let'z zee how you tick_..." Von said in a soft, menacing voice.

His eyes bulging wide open, Blocky jerked himself to the side. He yelped when he felt the serrations in the cuffs start to cut him. "_No_!" He screamed. "_Please! Don't hurt me! I don't want this! Let me go_!"

The only response the man gave was a cold chuckle. Blocky stared at him in horror. As the chilling realization of what this man was going to put him through came to light, he shut his eyes and started to cry.

"Please...Rudy, Penny, Snap...somebody...anybody..." Blocky whispered softly, his voice cracking, barely audible. "..h-help me..."

"Oh, zey will not be able to help you..." Von said darkly as he patted Blocky on the head with his other hand. "But don't you worry... Zoon, zey will not be your biggezt conzern..."

Blocky cried harder at this.

sss

Tilly stood outside the door to Rudy's room. She bit her lip, keeping her hand on the doorknob. She wanted to turn it so badly, but she just couldn't do it. Not yet. Something was holding her back. The guilt... It ate away inside of her, leaving behind an internal, blazing trail that made her want to throw up.

This was so hard... She never realized just how hard it was. It really was true, that apologizing was one of the hardest things to accomplish. Parts of her mind were yelling at her, telling her that Rudy should have known better, that he should have spoken to her earlier, that he had it coming. She did her best to shake those thoughts out of her mind, but they kept crawling back, causing some of the bitter anger to return.

But then she would remember what she had done to him, and that would fade away, replaced by sorrow and strong guilt. She fought back the tears, doing what she could to keep them from coming. It was difficult to do so, and she could not stop a few tears from flowing down her cheeks. She was still distraught over what she had done to Rudy. She was in such disbelief that she had...she had actually hurt him... How could she have done that to him?

At this point, however, she was finished with asking herself that question, and the others that popped in. She was tired of crying, of curling up in a ball in a fetal position. What good was that going to do her? Her sobbing would solve nothing. She might still be angry with him. She might still believe he had much to answer to. But she still had to make this right. She had to mend what she had broken.

She _needed_ to apologize. He..he deserved one. She had hurt him. She had spoken so harshly and coldly to him, something she had never done before. She struck him so hard, he hit the ground. She recalled how he had grabbed his shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat at the realization that she may have done more harm than she thought.

She couldn't take it anymore. Narrowing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath, she opened up the door and entered the room.

It was dark, the light having been turned off. She looked around, trying to find Rudy. She wasn't sure if he had collapsed on the ground or if he went up into his bed. A quick scan of the room revealed that he was indeed on the top bunk. She moved in closer, taking care not to step on any of the stuff strewn across the room.

She took notice of Sophie slapping on the ground cuddled up with Penny. Tilly took a double take. _Penny_? What was she doing here? Was she told about her and forgot or... She shook the thoughts out of her mind. That wasn't important right now. If Penny was here, then she got permission. She kept her focus on Rudy.

She soon reached his bunk and she looked up at him. He had his back turned to her, his body mostly covered by his blanket. She watched as he breathed in and out slowly. He looked so _peaceful_. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

This moment was soon broken, however, when she reached over to touch him. She gently shook him, and it didn't take long before the boy stirred in his bed. He got up, balancing himself with one arm. He rubbed his eyes and let out a soft yawn. He turned himself around and he stared at her. At first, he just looked tired, his eyes only part way open. But when he rubbed his eyes a second time and blinked, he seemed to realize who she was. Then everything flooded back to him.

Immediately, the boy let out a whine and he cringed away from her. He leaned away, pressing his back against the wall of his room. He gave her a terrified expression, his teeth clenched, eyes bulging, and his body shaking. He didn't attempt to speak; his voice was too busy emitting whimpers.

The sight of this broke Tilly's heart. She had really screwed things up. She had gone too far, and now the boy was _frightened_ of her. It wasn't just the act of hitting him, she knew. It was her whole demeanor. This was a side that he had never seen of her. Seeing just how much this had startled the boy twisted her heart, and she did what she could to fight back her tears.

"Rudy...honey...I'm so sorry..." Tilly whispered. She reached out towards Rudy. He cowered from her, clenching his teeth as if he wanted to bite her. She paused and, curling her fingers inward, pulled her hand back. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I should have controlled myself more. I should have just walked away, but instead I carried on and on... and I..." She closed her eyes, letting tears flow down her face. "_Oh gawd_, Rudy.. I'm so very sorry..."

Rudy didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at her warily, his body shaking like a leaf underneath his covers. His eyes widened a little, and he looked as if he expected her to hit him again.

Poor Rudy... She never meant to hurt him like this. Yes, she was angry at him still for lying about this chalk world, but... she could have at least tried to hear his side of the story. He must have had a good reason to keep it a secret, right? She should give him a chance to explain, and this time, actually listen to him, and not treat him like he was a darn criminal or something.

Tilly reached out towards him again. Rudy hunkered down almost like a frightened dog. He did not growl or anything like that, but he had that look in his eyes... Despite that, she still reached out towards him. Very gently, she placed her hand on the top of his head. He shuddered and shut his eyes, his whimpering filling her ears. She began to gently stroke his hair.

This gentle act appeared to calm down Rudy somewhat. But the trembling stayed, and he still looked distrustul of her. Well at least it was something of a change. She continued to run her fingers through his hair, giving him the most gentle look she could muster. She wanted to show him how much she still cared about him, and that he had nothing to worry about from her anymore.

"I'm sure you meant well...with not telling us about this chalk world. I'm so sorry I didn't listen..." Tilly whispered softly to him. "I'm sorry I insulted your art. I take it back. I think you're a great artist. It wasn't right of me to say those things about it. I'm sorry I sold your chalkboard without asking you." She moved her hand down to his cheek, the same one she struck. "And I'm so, so very sorry I slapped you. I didn't mean it..."

Rudy still didn't speak. He still looked cautious of her, but there was now something else in his eyes. Curiosity. Her words had piqued his interest. His body began to tremble a little less.

Tilly smiled the best she could, tears flowing down her face. "I love you, Rudy..." Using the ladder as leverage, she leaned towards the quivering child and gently kissed him on the forehead. At this, Rudy stopped shivering altogether and just stared at her, looking almost uncertain of what to make of it. Tilly stroked his hair a little more. "Goodnight, sweetheart..."

Not wanting to bother her nephew any longer, the brown-haired woman turned and walked out of the room.

sss

Rudy watched as his aunt left him alone, shutting the door behind her. He took in a few deep breaths, replaying what happened over and over in his mind.

He hadn't expected his aunt to come apologize to him. He didn't think that she would try anything tonight. He would have thought she was too angry or too ashamed to try to speak to him agian until tomorrow or so. He was fully prepared to go to sleep without seeing her again. But for her to show up...

It made Rudy feel a little guilty. Penny was right. He usually was the one to try to make amends and correct mistakes he made. He had provoked his aunt into hurting him by calling her a _bitch_. He winced at that word, unable to believe he had used it against his own aunt. He could have tried to speak more calmly to her and try to prevent the situation from escalating. He could have just tried to walk away and let her blow off some steam. He felt he could have done something to keep things from getting that bad.

He also could have gone back down to speak to her. He could have taken Penny's advice and try to fix things. Instead, he hid like a coward because he was afraid his aunt would hurt him again. On instinct, he had cringed away from her because he thought she was still mad at him, even when her expression said otherwise. He felt simply awful for that, and he wished he had reacted more rationally.

He had seen the hurt look in his aunt's eyes. He could see how _much_ she was suffering for this mistake. He could see just how much she regretted hurting him. She had apologized to him, and he knew it was sincere. She had said her piece, and left him to he could go back to sleep.

But how could he now? He didn't say a word to her. All he did was treat her like she was some kind of monster. He didn't even accept her apology. He just...looked at her and cried like a big baby. How could he have done _that_? He wanted to slap himself in the face for not saying even one word to her.

Well he wasn't going to let that mistake run on for much longer. He pushed the covers off of his body and climbed down his bed's ladder. He crept across the room, careful not to kick Penny or Sophie, and trying not to wake them up. He looked down at them for a few seconds. Seeing them sleep together peacefully caused a smile to crack on his face. He then opened the door and walked out.

He immediately noticed some lighting. A faint bluish glow, and a faint sount. The television was turned on. His aunt must be trying to watch some television. Maybe that movie she had told him about before.

Being as quiet as he could, Rudy moved down the staircase. He didn't want to startle his aunt. He tredded lightly on the steps, making sure that each time he put his foot down, he did not use much force, making his steps quiet, the sound virtually nonexistent.

When he reached the bottom step, he crept along forward and peered into the living room. He could see his aunt was laying on her side, a blanket pulled over her. He bit his lip, wondering why she would chose to sleep down here instead of the nice bed in his parents' room. Was this her way of punishing herself? He hoped that wasn't what she had in mind.

Slowly, he walked forward. It didn't take him long to realize she had fallen asleep. His aunt did have a habit of going to sleep rather quickly. Faster than most people that he knew. Doing his best not to wake her up, he moved even closer, and he caught his breath at something he noticed.

Her face...it was sleek and looked wet. She had been _crying_... Rudy bit his lip at this. His aunt must really feel horrible to have cried like this. Then he saw her twitching, her leg kicking out slightly, her eyes going wild underneath her eyelids.

"No..Rudy...I'm sorry.. Please come back...please..." Aunt Tilly whispered, her voice cracking. More tears emerged from her eyes. "I-I didn't mean to.. No, don't run away.._please_..."

At this, Rudy felt his heart ache. His poor aunt... She was having a nightmare. She must really feel guilty about what she did. He bit his lip, watching as she cried in her sleep. He looked left and right, and then stared down at her. He couldn't leave her. Not like this.

Noticing that Aunt Tilly had pressed herself against the back of the couch, leaving some small amount of space, Rudy took action. He climbed into the couch next to his aunt, laying on his side facing her. He pulled the blanket over himself, making sure his aunt still had some covers as well.

As soon as he did this, his aunt stirred and her eyes opened up. She sniffled a little as she looked around, detecting something was a little off. When she saw him, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "R-Rudy...?" She managed to choke out.

Rudy looked up at her. After a few seconds, he smiled and whispered, "I forgive you..." He cuddled up against her, laying close and snug, feeling her warmth against him. "I love you, too.."

Rudy got as close as he could to his aunt. He laid his head on her, rubbing his cheek against her affectionately. He took in a deep breath and let out a sigh of contentment. He could hear his aunt's heart beating, creating something of a lullaby, He felt his eyes flutter shut, his mind being soothed by the gentle rhythmn of each thump.

He opened up his eyes when he felt something move along his body. He quickly realized that his aunt had looped an arm across him, pulling him close to her. He looked at her, seeing her relieved eyes staring down at him, a small smile on her face. Rudy smiled back before laying his head back down and closing his eyes. He did not notice the uncomfortableness of their position on the couch, so little room, as he remained cuddled up against his aunt, his mind shutting down, entering dream land.

sss

When the recess bell rang, it was a relief to all of the students. Being cramped in school for so long, at least for them, drove many of them crazy. Children had boundless energy and they couldn't wait to exert it when they went outside for recess. A time to frolic and have fun.

At least, for most of them. Today, Rudy and Penny weren't able to enjoy the usual antics of recess. They had more important things on their minds.

The two of them went around to the back of the school, away from the others. They couldn't let anyone see what they were doing, or hear their discussions. Thankfully, not many students came back here anyway, and they were all too busy to really care about what they did. Never once had any of the students ever questioned where they would go, and usually just focused on each other.

This was a relief to Rudy. It provided a safe place for him and Penny to talk. They would often look left and right to see if anyone was coming. In their current position, it was impossible for anyone to sneak up on them. There weren't too many windows here, and with the building blocking them, they only had forward and the sides to watch. Pretty easy with the two of them. Penny was assigned one side and Rudy the other, and they both shared the front duty.

Both Rudy and Penny were quite concerned. Penny suggested that they meet here to discuss things further, as things were pretty complicated back at Rudy's place. Neither of them were entirely sure about how to handle that situation.

_Aunt Tilly now knows about ChalkZone_. He had done what he could to explain it to her during breakfast today. While Aunt Tilly did say that she wouldn't speak a word of it to anyone else, this was just a temporary thing and he and Penny both knew it. She just hadn't made any final decisions on it yet, and he knew that, sooner or later, she was going to want to tell his parents about it. She was not one to keep things a secret from her own sibling. And his mom surely wouldn't withold information from his dad.

Rudy could feel his gut twisting from this precarious situation. He had hoped he never had to deal with this situation, but here he was. A family member has found out about this world he went to, and of course, it had to be Aunt Tilly, the one aunt that he was closest to. For once, he wished that it was Uncle Chuck who found out. He wasn't his favorite uncle, but at least he gives so few fucks that he wouldn't bother telling anyone.

The future of ChalkZone was _at stake_. He would need to devote some time into convincing Aunt Tilly to guard its secret. He needed to know that he could trust her not to tell anyone.

But it would be hard. She was not happy with him. She may have apologized for her behavior and tried to see things his way. But it was clear, from what she said, that she was still upset that he never brought this up in the past two years since this began. She hinted that she was eager to tell his folks about it when they came back from their vacation, which filled him with dread.

At least for now, it's on hiatus, allowing him and Penny to focus on another pressing matter.

"I can't believe they didn't see him..." Penny whispered softly. There was a strong tinge of doubt in her voice. "How could they not have..." Her voice trailed off.

"I know, Penny." Rudy admitted. He leaned his head up, staring up towards the sky. "It's not like Blocky to not show up _at all_..."

Rudy reflected back to when he headed into ChalkZone. He had done so while his aunt was still asleep. Due to the tough situation they were in, he chose this time so that she wouldn't stop him from going. He had Penny wait with Sophie and guard the portal. Just in case Aunt Tilly came into the room, he didn't want to run the risk of his aunt trying to mess with the portal on the portable chalkboard. He was glad that at least that hadn't been sold.

He had gone to the hospital to see Snap and Rapsheeba. He was glad to hear that Rapsheeba had been discharged after her arm was stitched up. Snap has to stay a few extra days, but he was doing fine as well. He had talked to them for a bit about what was going on, including the thing with his aunt. Understandably, they were both worried, but they agreed that Rudy would be able to figure out something for that.

But when he mentioned Blocky, neither of them had any clue of where he was. This confused both Rudy and Penny. They had thought for certain that Blocky would have shown up to say hello to them. But according to his two friends, he wasn't there at all, not last night, not eary morning.

In fact, as he and Penny went around town, speaking with people, they quickly learned that absolutely no one had seen Blocky since the other day, when the twister had struck. Some zoners had even stopped them when they were walking down the street and asked them about Blocky. The fact that no one had seen Blocky worried the two deeply.

Things got even more worrisome when they found out that Blocky was supposed to be a part of this marching band. Rapsheeba had apparently arranged something for him, but according to the other zoners involved, he hadn't shown up at all. This was very strange; Blocky wasn't the type to miss out on a recital like that. He was usually pretty good wth the time. For him to not show up or even contact anyone and tell them he couldn't make it... the two children knew that something was very _wrong_.

What could have happened with Blocky? Why wasn't he anywhere to be found? Where could he have disappeared to? So many questions raced through Rudy's mind. There was a large number of possibilities of what might have happened to their friend. And none of them were good.

He tried to calm himself down. Maybe Blocky just got lost. Maybe he took a wrong turn and ended up somewhere else. Or maybe he just was so tired, he fell asleep. Maybe he was just a late waker today. It was possible. Rudy hoped that's all it was. Blocky sleeping in late. He's done that before when there was no important appointment to keep, or when he was incredibly tired.

Rudy turned his head to Penny. "Do you think it's possible that he is just...a late sleeper today?"

Penny looked over at him. She bit her lip. "I'm not sure. He doesn't do that often." She turned her head away. "Although it would explain why he hasn't been spotted yet." She looked back at Rudy. "Rapsheeba's marching band does sometimes have really early practices. With what happened yesterday, maybe he just didn't feel up to it."

Rudy could feel some sense of relief. "Yeah...that's what I was thinking. Maybe he was too shaken up and had a hard time sleeping at night." He paused for a moment, trying to think of what the next best course of action would be. "Maybe we should head back into ChalkZone, though? Just to be sure?" Rudy suggested. "Maybe something new happeend. Maybe someone has spotted him."

Penny nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah... That seems like a good idea." She frowned softly, looking left and right. "I think only one of us should go, though. The other must stay here and guard the portal. I don't want to risk someone else finding out about ChalkZone."

Rudy winced at this. "Yeah... After with what happened with Aunt Tilly..." He watched as Penny silently nodded. This was a situation they did not want to get repeated again. It was just too risky. His aunt finding out was bad enough. He didn't need anybody else to figure this out. "I went into ChalkZone last time. I'll stay here and guard. You go in. Try to be as quick as possible."

Penny smiled at this. "Aren't I always?"

Rudy cast her a brief, playful smirk. "Just get going." He tossed her the magic chalk.

Penny grabbed it and nodded dutifully at him. She looked left and right to make sure no one was looking. She then drew a small portal on the ground, just barely big enough to let her squeeze through. Rudy watched as she ran off into the distance. He remained by the portal, awaiting her return. He hoped that she would bring _good_ news.

sss

"What? Are you _sure_..?" Penny asked.

The zoner in front of her nodded his head. "Affirmative, ma'am." He gestured to the group that he was with. "We had another practice, and we haven't seen any sign of Blocky."

Another of the band zoners nodded his head. "We even tried to contact him, but have gotten _no_ response."

Penny felt her heart clench at this. No response? That was not like Blocky... Maybe he was just still tired and...No, that wasn't it. Blocky would have answered his doorbell no matter how tired he was. And one of these zoners just told her that someone went to check on him and he wasn't there at home.

"Perhaps someone saw him wandering around?" Penny asked hopefully. "Please...did anyone say anything about spotting him?"

The lead marching zoner shook his head. "I am sorry, but no. He was nowhere to be found."

Penny fell silent at this. She could feel her heart ache as the realization began to dawn on her. It was odd enough for Blocky to miss an appointment without telling anyone. But it was even rarer for it to happen again. And for him to not be at his home but no one spotting him anywhere in ChalkZone? That was even stranger. _Something was very wrong here_...

She tried to stay positive. There had to be a logical explanation for this. There had to be a reason why Blocky hadn't been found. Could he have wandered off somewhere else? Could he have gotten lost in a less used part of ChalkZone? There were some uninhabited lands. Perhaps he went off somewhere there? It didn't seem like the most plausible thing, but it still had some kind of merit. Maybe she could look around ChalkZone some more and...

_No_... It was too late for that. She was almost out of time. She would need to get back to the Real World and inform Rudy. She bit her lip. She wished she could have brought better news than this. Some positive news would have been good for them both.

Poor Blocky... She hoped that, wherever he was, that he was all right. She hoped that he was able to stay out of trouble. He was such an innocent and friendly zoner... She feared that he might fall prey to some of the more _unscrupulous_ zoners out there. She narrowed her eyes, unable to believe that such people like _that_ exist. If any such zoner got their hands on Blocky...

She pushed the thoughts aside for now. Standing here thinking about what might be will _not_ help her. She would need to get back to Rudy and discuss what they were going to do. They needed a plan to find their friend. As soon as possible, she would have to discuss this with Rudy. She hoped they would be able to think of something to help their missing friend.

"Thank you for the help." Penny said to the zoners. "Well I best be off now. See ya."

"Goodbye! And good luck!"

Penny turned around and left the zoners. She hurried as fast as she could back to where the playground portal was, where Rudy was waiting for her. As she moved towards it, a single thought raced through her mind.

_Be safe, Blocky_...

sss

"I understand what you're saying, Penny, but..." Rudy's voice trailed off.

"But what?" Asked Penny.

Rudy was silent for a few moments. He tried to think of the right words to say. He didn't want to sound like he was dismissing what Penny was saying. It was just that... He found it hard to believe that something like this could have happened. Especially to _Blocky_ of all people... It just wasn't fair.

It was hard to believe that Blocky could be...be _missing_... How could that have happened? There hadn't been anything strange happening lately except for that twister. None of the zoners reported anything particularly wrong. Skrawl certainly wasn't doing anything; he was quite an attention hog, and it was hard for him to keep _any_ of his plans secret.

So how could Blocky have disappeared? The last he checked, Blocky was with Sophie. He had thought he simply dropped her off and went home. But something _else_ clearly happened. If no one in ChalkZone City saw him since the other day, he knew something was really wrong. Blocky was in ChalkZone everyday, rarely missing a day in there. He loved to socialize, much like Snap. Perhaps even more so. For him to not show up at all...

He sitll held onto the believe that perhaps something else had happened that wasn't as bad. Despite how bleek this outlook became, he still struggled to hang onto the idea that Blocky was just merely lost or he was hiding or something. He hoped and pleaded that it wasn't the result of some new villain that he knew nothing about. It was one thing to deal with Skrawl, whom he knew how to fight. But it was another matter entirely to deal with someone, or something, he had no knowledge of.

He stared at Penny, biting his lip. He struggled to think of something to say to her. He continued to stare pleadingly at her, hoping that she would say something that would be some good news. But she could only stare sadly at him, shaking her head.

"Are you _positive_ they didn't see him?" Rudy asked softly, his voice barely a whisper.

Penny nodded her head affirmatively. "I'm sorry, Rudy. They told me what they could. Blocky hasn't been spotted."

"But...but _how_ could he have gotten lost?" Rudy narrowed his eyes slightly. "He's never gotten lost before... Then again, first time for everything." Rudy paused for a moment. He tilted his head up towards the ceiling, the bright lights of the room filling his eyes. "Or he could have been caught..."

"Don't think like that, Rudy. I'm sure Blocky is fine." There was a falter in her voice. It was clear she had thought of the same possibility as well. "Besides, who would want to capture him? No offense to him, but there isn't any villain we know of in ChalkZone who would find him that useful."

"_Except to get to me_." Hissed Rudy, glaring softly at Penny. The girl moved her head back, eyes widened. "_That_ is what he's good for.."

Penny was quiet, staring at Rudy. She looked a bit guilty for not thinking of that faster. She soon shook her head and said, "Even if that were the case, Rudy, wouldn't you have gotten a ransom note?" Rudy tilted his head at this. She held up her hand in gesture. "It's kind of hard to make use of someone as bait if the person being targeted doesn't know what to do or where to go."

Rudy nodded his head slowly, his eyes slowly widening in realization. "You're right, Penny. That is strange..." He thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps Blocky wasn't captured after all..." This did bring about some relief, but that was soon overtaken by worry. "But..if that's not what happened, then _what_ did...?"

"We will have to go into ChalkZone later, as soon as possible, and find out ourselves." Penny's voice was as confident as she could musture. "If we cannot get information from the zoners, we will do some searching around. Maybe we can use that plane you drew from when we went to Chalk Spain."

"Good idea, Penny!" Rudy exclaimed. "We can fly around ChalkZone and see if we can spot him from the air!"

"_Exactly_. Or at least, find any clues to what may have happened to him." Penny said.

Rudy lowered his head as he looked around, gritting his teeth. "But it'll have to be at a later time. We've no time in school for that." He casted a nervous glance forward. "And _especially_ not in _here_..."

Penny nodded in agreement. "_Definitely_..."

Rudy took a moment to remind himself that he was in school still. Specifically, Mr. Wilter's classroom. It wasn't over yet. Recess was finished, lunch was over with. Now they were on the final quarter of the school day. It would still be a little while before they were done with the day and they could return home.

"We'll go when we get back to your mom's place." Rudy said softly. "I don't really feel like dealing with my aunt right now; she will slow me down."

Penny replied, "I understand, Rudy."

"So it's settled then? We have your mom pick us up and drop off at your place," Rudy explained. "Then we head into ChalkZone and use whatever time we have to explore with the plane." Penny nodded her head affirmatively. Rudy gave a small smile of confidence at this. "All right then. Here's to hoping we will find something."

Suddenly, they were interrupted.

"_Rudy Tabootie! Penny Sanchez_!"

The two kids froze. Suddenly, they could feel a ton of eyes glued to them, watching their every move. Their bodies hunched, they flinched as they looked up. Upon seeing Mr. Wilter standing there, his arms folded against his chest, they knew they were in big trouble.

"Do you mind telling the rest of the class what was so very _important_?" Mr. Wilter spoke. The other students looked on curiously. "Well...? He tapped his foot impatiently. "We're _waiting_."

Rudy and Penny couldn't say anything. Their lack of a response further fueled Mr. Wilter's anger and made some of the students laugh.

Mr. Wilter pointed towards the door. "To the principal's office! _Both of you_!"


	12. Discussions

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 12: Discussions

_**Revenge. The drug that anyone can get addicted to.**_

sss

Rudy couldn't believe this had happened. He and Penny were supposed to be back at home, getting ready to go into ChalkZone right about now. Instead, they were stuck in Mr. Wilter's classroom, being watched by their teacher.

Anger rose up inside of him. They should be looking for any information regarding Blocky, not sitting here doing homework. He couldn't believe that he and Penny were stuck having to do some extra work here at school. All this time that they could be using to find their friend was being wasted on something like this. He could feel his body jittering as he looked desperately at the clock, hoping that this would finally be over.

Well there wasn't much they could do about this at the moment. They had already tried what they could, hoping that they could worm their way out of it. But it didn't work. Principal Stringent still saw it fit to have the two of them punished. So they were stuck with a week's worth of detention. This confused the heck out of them because it was such an extreme punishment. But the principal said her word was final and dismissed them.

Rudy had a feeling that something was up with that, like she had some kind of motive for what she had done. Penny thought he might be paranoid, and perhaps he was. But Rudy simply could not let he possibility go. What if Principal Stringent had punished them on purpose for something in the past? What if she had just been waiting for the right moment and was just using this as an _excuse_?

And his aunt was not going to happy with him either. She was already upset with the whole ChalkZone thing. The last thing she needed was another reason to be upset with him. He usually was good about not getting detention. How was he going to explain this to his aunt?

He shook the thoughts out of his head. Right now, that didn't matter. They needed to focus on how they were going to help Blocky. Since they would not be able to get into ChalkZone until later, he and Penny were going to have to focus on discussing things while they were here. Mr. Wilter usually fell asleep pretty early in the detentions on fridays, probably due to it being the end of the week, and just their luck, today was friday. They just had to wait until he fell asleep. Then they could discuss things regarding ChalkZone.

As angry as he was at Principal Stringent, he was more angry at himself and Penny for not realizing that they were drawing the attention of their teacher. They were usually good about not screwing something like that up. But their concern for Blocky made them oblivious to what was going on around them. While being worried for their friend was a legitimate thing, they still should have been more careful.

Rudy watched Mr. Wilter carefully. The man was still watching them, a small cup of coffee next to him. He was careful not to make it look like he was spending the whole time just staring at him, since that would be pretty creepy, and it would make him look suspicious. Instead, he kept his head down, writing on the paper he and Penny were given as assignment. Only once in a while did he move his eyes up to look at Mr. Wilter to see what he was doing.

It took a while, but thankfully, as the first hour of detention approached them, Mr. Wilter shut his eyes. He and Penny watched carefully, waiting, making sure that he was, for certain, knocked out. Only when the man started snoring and drool became to form from his mouth did they dare speak to one another.

"_Finally_..." Rudy said softly as he set his pencil down. "I thought he was _never_ going to fall asleep." He turned his head to Penny. "Lucky this was friday. We wouldn't have been able to do anything the entire time while he was here."

Penny nodded, but then frowned as she stared at the piece of paper. "Don't forget to fill those out, Rudy. You don't want a worse punishment, do you?"

Rudy gave a quick chuckle. "Like what?" He raised his hand in gesture. "More detentions?"

"How about a _suspension_?" Penny asked. Rudy froze at this. "Or perhaps something from your aunt, or your parents whenever they get back."

Rudy flinched at this. "_Oh_... right..." He looked down at the paper. "I'll continue it later. Right now, I think we should talk a bit more about what we are going to do."

"We'll still have some time in ChalkZone to figure out what happened." Penny pointed out.

"But not long enough." Rudy said, biting his lip. "The more time we waste not doing something, the more dire the sitation becomes." He looks at Penny. "I'm doing my best to stay positive, Penny. But I can't shrug off the feeling that something happened to Blocky."

"I know what you mean." Penny looked at him sympathetically. "I'm really worried, too. But...maybe someone in ChalkZone has heard something by now. I mean, it's been twenty-four hours." Rudy looked away from her sadly, staring at the chalkboard. "I'm sure someone must have found out some information that we could use."

Rudy nodded his head weakly. "Yeah...maybe..."

He knew that Penny was probably right. Enough time has passed and it was possible that, if they looked hard enough, someone would have heard something, anything. If they just keep looking around, they would surely run into someone that would be able to give them information they need to find and help their poor friend. Or maybe someone had spotted him and he was only lost.

But, thinking about it, he wasn't sure just how likely it would be for Blocky to be...lost. _How_ could he have gotten lost so easily? Not that it never happens, but this just seemed too..._strange_. He would have thought the twister did it, but that was sealed away beforehand, so that wasn't it. Even if he did get lost, he was never gone this long before, and there was always a zoner that would find him and bring him back. For no one to find him...

Rudy could feel his heart clench tighter, his eyes widening. He could see Penny's concerned expression as she stared over at him. She reached over with her hand, leaning as far as she could, and touched him on the shoulder. Rudy glanced at her. She stared at him sympathetically, her expression silently asking him what was wrong. Rudy tried to say something, but he merely got tongue-tied.

"Rudy..." Penny spoke up after a while. "We will find him. Don't worry." She tried to sound as confident as she could, but Rudy could tell just how afraid she really was underneath her determined expression. "We just need to stay positive and not let ourselves get worked up over the possibilities."

Rudy nodded his head slightly. "Y-Yeah... That's true. The possibilities." He swallowed hard, his mind briefly imagining all kinds of horrible things happening to Blocky before he shook it off. He glanced over at Mr. Wilter. "One of us could head into ChalkZone and..."

Penny shook her head. "It's too risky." She casted a worried glance down at Mr. Wilter. "What if he wakes up before we come back? We'll be in even _bigger trouble_..."

Rudy couldn't help but wince at that statement. She was right. He couldn't believe he almost forgot about that problem. They would make things worse if they left now.

But..there had to be something they could do, right? Some way of finding out more information as soon as possible. Some way of figuring out the situation with Blocky quickly. Surely they could use this time for something productive, right. He refused to believe that there was nothing they could do here.

Then something came to his mind. His eyes slowly widened. Of course... why didn't he think of trying this earlier? He could have done this before Mr. Wilter came into the room to start the detention. He leaned away from Penny, to the other side of his desk and pulled something out of his backpack. His portable chalkboard.

Penny watched as he raised an ordinary piece of chalk to the board. Judging from the expression in her eyes, she realized what Rudy was going for. "That's a good idea, Rudy!"

Rudy smiled at her, and then proceeded to write a message. He scribbled it on as quickly as he could, making sure to get as much detail in with as few words as possible, knowing that Mr. Wilter could wake up and see what he was doing. He quickly erased the message, and then, using his magic chalk, drew a small portal. He made sure to cover the light so Mr. Wilter wouldn't see it.

Now all he and Penny can do was wait. He hoped that one of the zoners in ChalkZone would get the message and be able to tell him and Penny something useful. There had to be some kind of silver lining in this, even if it were extremely thin.

sss

"P-Please...stop this..." Blocky pleaded with his captors. "D-Don't do this..."

"Oh shut up, you little _baby_. We haven't done anything to you yet." Terry folded her arms against her chest. "And besides...all we want is information."

Blocky shook his head in desperation. "I-I'll never tell you!"

Terry snarled at him. She was tempted to reach out and choke the little guy. She and Von had been at this for an hour at least, and the little guy still wasn't cracking. She would have thought that some time alone to think about his situation would be enough to inform him just how helpless he really was. Perhaps he needed a little more...

Still, she had to keep trying. She didn't want to wait another day just to speak with him. She realized she should have just started trying to get him to talk right away. Perhaps if she had done something to him earlier, she would have been able to break him sooner, and they would be making actual progress now. Oh well, it was her fault for thinking that the zoner, who revealed his name was Blocky, would listen to reason and become more cooperative.

"Now you lizten here, _you little idiot_!" Von hissed at the creature called a zoner. "We are talking about a dizcovery of a lifetime here! You are our ticket to zat. You have no choize. You are _ourz_ now. You do what we zay, okay?!"

Blocky shook his head, letting out loud whimpers of fear. "No! No! I can't tell you anything! Just let me go! Please!" He squirmed harder against his binds. A few times, he yelped, indicating he was being scratched by the cuffs put on him. "Please! I'm begging you! I can't tell you anything else!"

_Stubborn creature_... But Terry realized she shouldn't be too surprised. After all, he was from this chalk world. This...ChalkZone as he called it. He would naturally feel compelled to protect it. She scoffed at the idea of protecting something like that. To her, ChalkZone was just a gimmick, something to make money off of, something that the whole world deserved to know about. Who cares about the inhabitants? Not like they really matter, except for studying and labor and whatever else society saw fit for them.

But of course, this zoner wouldn't see things that way. He was just a miserable little thing that would do whatever it took to protect his people. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Rudy and Penny were in on this whole thing. The realization made her blood boil. The two were traitors to society... They were much worse than she thought they were initially. Oh she couldn't wait until she spread the word about them..

But that'll have to wait until after she took care of exposing ChalkZone. She wanted everyone in town to know what it was about. Then she would out Rudy and Penny as the zoners' accomplices. While some might sympathize with them, she knew, without a doubt, that most people would certainly be furious with the two for what they did. She grinned nastily at the thought. Yes, revenge was going to be sweet...

"_Let me go_!"

Terry turned her attention to the pathetic chalk creature before her. She curled her lip up, getting sick of hearing this zoner beg like this. Did he really think that they were going to let him go just because he asked? She rolled her eyes. Just how stupid was this zoner anyway?

Well apparently not too stupid; it somehow managed to survive at least sometime in ChalkZone before they nabbed it. None of the zoners shot him. Either the zoners were very welcoming of just about anyone, or they had low standards of who was accepted and who wasn't. Or perhaps ChalkZone didn't run that way. The only way to find out was to get this thing to spill the beans on what they wanted to know.

And she was not going to rest until they have what they wanted.

True, they had a portal. They had a way into the world. But Terry knew that they could be kicked out. She remembered Vinnie's story, about how he was in that world, only to be flung out. When he went to find the portal again, it was gone. She narrowed her eyes at this. She could not allow that to happen to her and Von. They needed to know how to get in so that, if they do lose this portal, they would be able to get back in anyway.

This little rectangular creature was their only shot at getting the information that they needed. It was possible that he didn't know anything, but that was so slim... He had gotten out of his world, so he must obviously had some kind of mechanism. He must have some knowledge of how portals worked. And he was going to tell her exactly what that was.

"How do we get into ChalkZone?" Terry hissed at him. Blocky kept struggling, not daring to look at her. Growling loudly, she moved herself forward, causing Von to step aside. She grabbed onto the zoner's head roughly and pushed it against the hard surface. This forced the zoner to look at her. "I repeat, how do we get into that world?" Terry repeated herself, her voice a low growl. "I know about the magic chalk, but..." She leaned slightly closer. "..how do I go about getting a piece for myself...?"

Blocky widened his eyes. "Y-You can't...I _won't_..."

Von frowned at this, folding his arms. "We went through all ziz trouble to get you, and we are not going to just give up that eazily." He took a step forward, standing beside Blocky. "We zuggest you zpeak before we give you a reazon to..."

Terry held up her hand, silencing the man. She ignored his confused questioning as she glared down at the zoner. She lowered herself towards him, staring directly in his eyes. "Considering the situation you are in, I would cooperate more if I were you, _Blocky_." Terry looked at him up and down, briefly examining him. "After all, we control your very fate. Now...you do have a choice..."

She glanced over at Von, giving him a knowing smile. Von stared at him for a moment. Then, realizing what she was up to, returned the smile. Taking this as his cue, he looked over at the zoner, his arms relaxing at his sides.

"You can zpeak to uz and tell uz what we want. Or..." Von walked around the zoner until he was at his back. Blocky strained to stare at the scientist, his eyes widening further in fear. "...we could figure out at leazt zome of the answerz ourzelvez..."

Blocky shook his head in desperation. "Not that! _Please_!"

Terry and Von simply smiled at the zoner. Perhaps now they got him. It was a bluff, of course. They were still going to do whatever they wanted with him. There was still a bunch of things they needed to know about zoners. Or rather, Von needed to know. Terry could care less about this stuff, but Von, being a scientist, he would eat this stuff up.

But perhaps, this would serve as a motivator, getting Blocky to speak sooner. If not...oh well. So long as he was kept alive, it didn't really matter what happened to him.

"So..what's it going to be, _zoner_?" Terry asked in a menacing voice, smirking as she watched him stare up fearfully at her. "And don't you think about trying any of those tricks Snap did on me. They won't work again..." She squeezed his head tighter, forcing him to flinch in pain. "I will _not_ hesitate to give you a good reason not to cross me..._do you understand_?"

Blocky whimpered softly as he nodded his head. "Y-Yes, m-ma'm..."

"Good. Now... How do we get into ChalkZone?" She asked. She stared at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I-I can't tell you that... I just can't.." Blocky whispered softly, closing his eyes. "I-I won't betray them.."

Von cocked an eyebrow at this. "_Zo_...you would rather continue protecting them inztead of making zingz eazier on yourzelf and tell uz what we want to know?" Blocky nodded at this quickly. Von narrowed his eyes slightly. "All right zen... You leave uz _no choize_..." Von turned to Terry and nodded his head once. "Let uz initiate zee plan. If he won't tell uz... zen we will have our own...exploriatory fun..."

"Wh-What...?" Blocky asked in a small voice. "Wh-What do you mean...?"

Terry and Von didn't answer the zoner. The scientist was busy glaring at the creature while Terry simply smirked. What they were about to do, it was something she would never have risked trying with Rudy or Penny, obviously for certain reasons. However, Blocky offered no such barrier. If words alone won't help, then perhaps a bit of pain would...

Terry watched as the zoner resumed his struggling. Even with her grip still on him, he still managed to move a little while he squirmed underneath her. The zoner looked more afraid, and the expression he now had indicated that he may know a bit about what kind of fate awaited him. She just smiled at this, showing no sympathy for the little chalk creature. She knew that, sooner or later, he was going to spill the information. It was just going to take the right..._motivation_.

She knew that, deep down, the zoner knew beforehand what his fate was going to be. He may have tried to push the memory in the back of his mind and prayed it was just some horrible dream. He had just gotten a rude wake up call. _Good_. She imagined that Von might be irritated at having to explain it to him again.

"Wh-Why can't you just let me go h-h-home...? Please, that's all I want..." The rectangular zoner whimpered, tears forming in his eyes. "I-Is that so wrong...?"

"Tell us what we want to know." Terry said coldly.

"P-Please... can't you see how wrong this is..?" Pleaded Blocky.

"Wrong? It would be wrong if ziz was to another human being." Von said, his voice just as icy as Terry's. "But you clearly aren't human, zo you have no rightz. I guarantee that no one will zide with you. All they will zee is a ztrange and unknown creature and fear you, want you caged, want you tazered... You are _unnatural_. An _anomaly_. A mythical-like creature brought to life. You should conzider yourzelf lucky _we_ were the onez to find you firzt." He went around Blocky, his arms folded behind his back, looking at him with a scrutinizing eye. "At leazt we have some kind of reazon not to juzt tear you apart right now..."

Blocky trembled hard at this. His eyes bulged, practically overflowing with terror. "I-I-I told you already.. I c-c-can't tell you anything."

"And why not?" Terry asked coolly. "Why can't you tell us anything? Even the light of...punishment..." She growled that word, showing Blocky just how willing they were to go the extra mile if he did not cooperate. "...why are you still resisting? Are you that willing to start the...process...?" Upon seeing Blocky's expression, she sneered, "Oh don't try to pretend you don't know what Von here wants to do with you. He has already told you last night. We will be willing to...give you more time if you cooperate."

Regardless of her words, the zoner still shook his head. "No! I won't! Rudy would..."

Upon hearing that name, Terry froze. That name... That _wretched, awful name_... How did this zoner know about that? She narrowed her eyes, the smile vanishing from her face. The zoner appeared to realize he made a mistake and tried to squirm away. Curling her lip up into a snarl, she seized the zoner by his arm and squeezed it tightly, prompting a yelp from him.

"_How do you know about Rudy_?!" She demanded. "Are _you_ one of his allies?!"

Von looked over at her, his eyebrow raised up in slight concern. "Ma'am, pleaze control yourself..."

Terry ignored him completely. Her focus was only on the struggling zoner before her. "Tell me! What do you know about _him_?!"

Blocky whimpered, "P-Please..."

"_Tell me_!"

"I-I..." Blocky trembled violently, his voice breaking up, and soon vanishing completely as sobs took him over.

Terry growled, her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. Then, after a few moments, she recollected herself. She realized that her losing her temper nearly cost them big time. They couldn't allow the zoner to die. Not yet anyway. They still needed information from him, and her losing her temper could have resulted in unncessary action, which would have killed Blocky quicker. This would not do well for them, and reset their plans.

And besides, even if Blocky refused to cooperate, he would still be an excellent bargaining chip. Rudy and Penny were so sickenly sympathetic to these chalk creatures, they'd come to his rescue anyway. Then there was the matter of this zoner knowing about Rudy...

Terry realized she had overreacted. She should have known that this zoner would have been familiar with Rudy. She didn't know how she had let her temper get the better of her. She would have to make sure not to let it happen again. She took in a deep breath and let out a soft sigh. She turned her attention back to the zoner, releasing her grip on him.

"How do you know Rudy...?" She asked again, this time, in a sickenly calmer voice.

Blocky looked at her, terrified, his body still shaking. She narrowed her eyes a little further, giving him a dangerous look. "If you do not tell me what I want to know, I will personally see to it that you become well aquainted with some _shredded paper_."

Von was shocked by this. "B-But..."

Terry shot him a glare, silencing him. She then looked back at Blocky. His expression showed just how horrified he was by the suggestion. She smiled darkly and said, "So...what will it be...?"

Blocky licked his lips nervously. He looked left and right, possibly trying to find a way out. Pathetic little thing... "He...he..."

"He's what...?" Terry asked, her voice a growl.

Blocky whimpered at this and turned his head to the side. 'H-He's my c-c-creator..."

Terry's eyes widened at this. She was certain that Snap was a creation of Rudy's. After all, she had noticed his comic book about him. But nowhere had she never seen anything for Blocky. The realization that _Blocky_ was _another of Rudy's creations_ dawned on her, and already she could feel her mind's gears turning and grinding, a dark smile spreading across her face.

This turned out to be even more perfect than she had imagined. She turned to smile at Von. Though confused at first, he appeared to realize what was going on, indicated by the smile he began to wear on his face. If this zoner truly was a creation of Rudy's...

..then that will give the brat a much more..._personal reason_ to listen to her when the time comes. But for now...perhaps they should have a little...fun with Blocky. After all, _education_ was important.

"Oh _really_ now...?" Terry asked, a cold chuckle escaping her lips. "Isn't that just..._perfect_..?" She watched as the zoner cringed at this, looking at her warily. "I wonder what _dear little Rudy_ will have to say about this..."

"Oh yez..." Von said, nodding in agreement. "I'm sure he will have quite zee...reaction to ziz."

"Perhaps you could tell us how to get in contact with Rudy in ChalkZone?" The red-haired woman asked as she gently patted Blocky on the head. "I'm sure he is going to love hearing about this."

Blocky shook his head. "_No_!"

Terry narrowed her eyes slightly. She had no idea if the zoner was being brave or stupid at this point. She opted to believe he was just stupidly brave. He was trying to guard ChalkZone and was refusing to tell her or her comrade anything about it, outside of some few information pieces that didn't result in exposing ChalkZone or much of how it worked. Nothing that she or Dr. Von Doktor could really utilize, anyway.

Terry realized that she would need to motivate this zoner somehow into spilling his guts. Everyone had a breaking point. Everyone had that point in time where they just can't take it any longer, and they give into the demands. All she needed to do was find Blocky's weakness.

And she believed she already knew of something.

"Well isn't that a _shame_?" Terry sneered, her hand continuing to move along the top of Blocky's head, slowly moving down to touch his forehead. "I do wonder what might become of Rudy if word gets out that he was at that quarry?" At this, Blocky gave a confused look. "Oh you don't know?" She asked mockingly. "I was so sure that Rudy would have told you..."

"The...The time when the water had...?" Blocky's voice trailed off.

Terry nodded her head. "The same." She smirked as she pressed her other hand underneath her chin. She gave a knowing look at the zoner. "You know, that caused quite a buzz around town. Some were quite scared of this...strange water that poured into that quarry, brainwashing adults into doing crazy things. Some even talked about weaponizing it, you know." She chuckled at Blocky's fearful expression. "Of course, they never got the chance since it was...washed away by the rain..."

Terry remembered that day all too well. She had been summoned there when she heard about something strange going on. This was not too long before she made the conclusion of a chalk world. At the time, she was just as confused as everyone else, and then she got hit and...

She pushed the memories aside. It still disgusted her to this day how she had been so easily turned into a...a little _child_. All just from a little bit of water... Or at least, what seemed like water until something happened that chanced her whole view point on the situation.

Sure, the rain coming down was annoying, and she didn't like that she got drenched. But after that, when she really thought about it, she had realized that the rain had washed away the strange water. It didn't simply intermix like normal water would; it flat out _vanished_. This confused her for a few days until she realized that the water they were in must have had a chalky structure; it washed away so easily, and it did feel rather strange, not exactly like normal water.

She had considered that her luckiest moment, her eureka moment. It was the time when she finally started to make all the connections, and realize that every strange event Plainsville had been faced with could be traced back to this mysterious chalk world. Suddenly, everything started to make sense.

"I wonder how the citizens will feel when they find out that Rudy and Penny were responsible for the water..." Terry asked in a mock innocent tone. She tapped a finger against her chin. "Maybe they will ostracize them. Maybe label them as traitors and capture them."

"Or zey could try to forze zem to reveal the zecretz of zat chalk rain." Von suggested, raising a finger up into the air. Blocky shook his head in denial, which prompted Von to continue. "Zey might capture zem, and take zem zomewhere and lock zem them. Zen zey have to..."

"No! Leave them out of this!" Blocky pleaded, his body trembling. "They...they don't deserve _that_!"

At this, Von and Terry gave a narrowed glare at the zoner. They both could feel the blood heating up in their bodies. Flashbacks moved through their heads as they remembered, quite clearly, what happened as a result of their encounters with the little brats.

"Oh you are right..." Von said coolly. "Zey dezerve a much more fitting reward."

"_No_!" Shouted Blocky.

"Zen tell uz what we want to know, little creature." Von told him. "Or elze, we may be forzed to take ziz more..._draztic action_."

Blocky shook his head and struggled harder. The sight was pathetic, but also pretty amusing. Despite the threat just laid out before him, Blocky still was trying so hard to resist. He really thought that he could, somehow, get away, to escape what was going on and get back home. His stubbornness was amost admirable...if it weren't for the fact that he was delaying them getting the information that they needed.

Terry kept her hand on the zoner's cheek, rubbing against it roughly. "If you care about those two, you would tell us what we want to know. I know you don't care what we do to you..." Blocky's wide eyes looked up at her. "But I know you care what happens to your precious creator. Now..." She leaned forward. "Speak."

"No, I won't!" Blocky declared.

"Yes!" Terry hissed at him. "Speak up now!"

"Do it, or your friendz will zuffer!" Von cried.

"You heard him, Blocky!" Terry told him. "Speak!"

Terry didn't really have any plans on going after the brats. At least, not now. However, that didn't matter. This was just as affective as it would be had they been serious. And the terror in Blocky's eyes was all the same.

Blocky squirmed as Terry held him down. She asserted her strength over him, a way of showing him just how much control she had over him. Still, the zoner jerked himself from side to side, trying in vain to get free. "I won't let you get to my friends like that!"

Without warning, a move surprisingly bold for someone like him, Blocky lashed out at his captors. He opened his mouth as far as he could and he clamped them down on Terry's hand.

Immediately, seering pain registered in Terry's mind, intermixed with the initial shock of the zoner doing something like this. Von let out a surprised shout and took a step back, momentarily having a look of fear on his face as he seemed to half expect the zoner to try to slash at him as well. Terry yanked back her hand as the zoner bit down as hard as he could. In a desperate act, she formed a fist and slammed it against the zoner's head. With a yelp, the zoner immediately let go. Terry yanked back her hand and examined the damage.

There was a bit of swelling and slight bruising from where the zoner bit her. She could see that he had broken the skin as well, resulting in some bleeding along her hand. She lightly touched it and hissed at the pain. She clutched her hand to herself and she shot a death glare at the zoner, resulting in him cringing away from her.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to...!" Blocky begged her, but it was too late for that. _Far too late_...

"Hey Von...?" Terry spoke through clenched teeth. Despite the swirling rage moving through her head as she glared down at the zoner, she was doing her best to hold most of it back. Her voice, however, gave away everything. "What do you say we...have a little fun with our guest here...?"

Von's eyes flickered at this. "I would _love_ to..." He stared intently at the zoner. "I know what we can do firzt..." His smile held so many hidden promises for the zoner.

"_No, please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Don't hurt me! Please_!"

Terry and Von ignored his pleas. They just kept smiling at him, their mouths curved upwards twistedly. Watching the zoner squirm, feeling her own anger and desire to get back at those brats, Terry felt a sickening pleasure rise up inside of her as she and Von prepared for the beginning of a...nice and long time with the zoner. Since she could not actually harm Rudy, then she will take it out on this squirming zoner.

It was going to be fun to toy with him...

sss

Rudy did his best to hold back his frustration. He clutched his hand into a fist, shaking it. He looked towards the ground, refusing to look up. He could feel the chilling heat in the back of his head, swirling around, running amok. He tried to keep himself calm, but given the circumstances, this was quite difficult.

None of the zoners that had come to speak to him knew of anything. While a decent number showed up, Rudy couldn't believe that none of them knew anything useful. There had been no sightings of Blocky anywhere. Places he would usually be were thoroughly checked to no avail. There was absolutely nothing to suggest anything had happened, outside of being lost or something along those lines.

Rudy began to fear the worst for Blocky. Approximately twenty-four hours later, and still no word of where he was. His mind sifted through rapid thoughts, images of what could have happened to him popping in his head. The same ones that had appeared more than once for him and Penny. The same ones that he would try, constantly, to fight off so that he could concentrate on what to do.

When he and Penny had gotten to their homes, Rudy was hoping to get into ChalkZone right away with his portable chalkboard. Sure, it was quite small, but it was still large enough for him to just barely squeeze through. It wasn't something he'd normally do, but in this situation, he was quite desperate. He needed someway to get into ChalkZone as soon as possible.

He would just go over to Penny's, but he realized he couldn't do that. Not today. He and Penny were in trouble with their folks for the whole detention thing. Mrs. Sanchez was not going to want him to be over while she scolded her daughter, Penny. And his Aunt Tilly wanted to speak to him as well. She did not sound too happy when Principal Stringent had spoken to her over the phone.

He had hoped that Aunt Tilly would try to be understanding. He had hoped that she would at least try to see things his way and understand why this was so important to him. Unforunately, things didn't quite turn out that way.

"_Absolutely not_!" Aunt Tilly declared, folding her arms against her chest, staring down at her nephew. "I _forbid_ it!"

"B-But..." Rudy tried to plead with her. "You can't...!"

"I _can_ and I _will_!" Aunt Tilly growled at him. "Your parents left me in charge of you. They left me to protect you. And that's exactly what I'm going to do." She flattened her hand and struck it through the air to emphasize her next statement. "That means no trips into this...this alternate world until further notice!"

"You aren't being fair!" Rudy took a step forward, narrowing his eyes at her. "A dear friend of mine there needs me! I have to go in there and make sure he's okay! Why can't you understand that?"

Aunt Tilly snapped at him. "Because he's _just_ a _zoner_!"

Rudy fell silent at this. He snapped his head back, staring at his aunt in disbelief. He had hoped he gotten that all straightened out. He thought that he had been able to convince her that zoners were real. But that statement and how cold it was...

His aunt apparently realized just how harsh she sounded there. Her expression softened up and she looked at Rudy in surprise, likely at her own words. She shook her head slowly, her eyes shut, rubbing her head. After letting out a sigh, she spoke up again, her gaze remaining towards the ground.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know how much that world means to you, Rudy. You've told me repeatedly during our discussions..But I.." A sigh escaped her throat as she lifted up her head and stared towards Rudy. "I'm still in charge of you. You come first for me, not this world. I care about you. I love you... I don't want you getting hurt." She bit her lip, turning her gaze to the side. "I'm...sorry if I come across as cold. I don't mean to. I just...hope that you understand..." She looked back at him. "..I just want what's best for you.."

Rudy nodded his head slowly. The glare, however, remained on his face. "If you want what's best for me, then you'd let me go into ChalkZone so I can find my friend. He might be lost, hurt, captured... Don't you even care?!" Rudy winced at his aunt's expression. "Yeah...I realize that you do.. about me anyway. I know you have no reason to care about Blocky, or this world. But.." He held up his hand in gesture. "You know how much I care about it. You know that I would do anything to help my friends." He made a motion with his hand to the side. "And that includes my friends in this chalk world."

Aunt Tilly gave a soft sigh. "I know, Rudy. I'm not going to say I don't understand. I just..." She paused for a moment, her expression indicating that she was struggling to find the words to say. "I'm just worried that something might happen to you. I don't know enough about this world, even from what you told me, and even you admitted there are sometimes dangers."

"The dangers don't outweight the..." Rudy started to say.

Raising her hand to silence him, the woman said, "I know, Rudy. But...what if one of the dangers gets to you? What if something happens to you? I'd never forgive myself if it did." She moved closer to Rudy. "I don't want you getting hurt, Rudy. I just...a part of me doesn't understand why you can't just wait and let your other...zoner...friends find out what they can." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "If they are as caring to each other as you say, why not just let them do the work instead? Why..."

"Because they have been looking and they had no luck!" Rudy snapped at her. 'That's why I have to go! I need to find out for myself what happened! I need to look for my _friend_!"

Rudy realized just how loud he was, and he quickly shut his mouth. Upon seeing the look on his aunt's face, and how Sophie, who was nearby, was looking at him, he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't meant to yell like that. He understood why his aunt was so cautious. She wasn't doing it to be mean or anything. Yet..there was a part of him that was so emotionally driven, so for his aunt to still forbid him from going... it just charged up something inside of him, making him want to say 'screw you' to her and run.

No, that wouldn't be right. He didn't want to push her away like that. They just had a nasty fight the other day. Though they had both apologized to each other, there was still a slight stigma that arose because of it. They were both noticeably more...stiff when it came to speaking with the other. They were both worrid of saying the wrong thing again, and resulting in another fight. Rudy hoped to avoid this.

"Just...please...Aunt Tilly... I have to do this." Rudy said softly. He took a few steps towards her, staring at her with a look of desperation. "Please..try to understand... If it was one of your friends who was in danger, wouldn't you do whatever it took...?"

"Well...yes...but..." Aunt Tilly paused for a moment, sucking on her lip. "They are human. And this Blocky is not."

"What difference does it make?" Rudy raised his shoulders. "He's still alive just like we are. He doesn't deserve whatever is happening to him. And I still care about him, like I do Penny."

"But he's still not _human_." Aunt Tilly said again, this time, with a little more force. "I can understand you taking such a risk to help your fellow humans. But for a completely different species? Don't you think that's a little...too much?"

"_Too much_?!" Rudy snapped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Aunt Tilly said quickly, attempting to quell his anger. "I just mean that... Why don't you just let them handle this? I'm sure that they are smart enough to find their lost little friend. You shouldn't have to do anything. Don't force yourself to do something that is risky and unnecessary." Aunt Tilly motioned for Rudy to sit down. "Now why don't you just join us for dinner? We have some..."

"_I can't believe you_!" Rudy winced at his tone there. He could see the shocked looks on his family members' faces. He was trying so hard not to get angry. He was doing his best to understand things from their point of view. But it was rather difficult. "My friend is in danger and you don't care! I thought you understood!"

"I do, Rudy...It's just that..." His aunt started to say. But Rudy didn't want to hear any of it.

"You have a funny way of showing it!" Rudy snarled at her. After he seethed for a few seconds, his teeth bared, he eventually realized that he was getting worked up again, and he did his best to settle himself down. "Please, Aunt Tilly...I'm begging you... Let me to into that world. Let me help my friend. Please..."

Aunt Tilly stared at him for a few moments. Silence fell upon the room. Even Sophie wasn't saying anything, as if she could detect the tension in the air. She pressed herself close to the table, barely chewing her food as she looked over. Rudy waited in silence, staring at his aunt, hoping that she would make the right decision.

Then his aunt started to open her mouth. Rudy leaned in slightly, awaiting her answer. His aunt froze for a second, clenching her teeth. She looked away from Rudy for a few moments, her eyes looking around uncertainly. She then turned back to Rudy. She gave her answer.

"_No_."

Rudy's heart nearly stopped.


	13. Possibilities

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 13: Possibilities

_**The path of resistance is when you struggle against both friend and foe.**_

sss

"_No_."

The word rang in Rudy's head, creating a quake through his body that he could not control. He stared at his aunt disbelievingly, hoping, praying that she would change her mind. Yet he still stood there, silent and firm, staring at him sternly.

_No_...? She wasn't going to let him go into ChalkZone, even when told of how important it was to him? How..._how could she_...? Rudy wrestled with the emotions swirling in his head, his teeth clenching so tightly, they almost popped out of his skull. He resisted the urge to glare at his aunt, not wanting to start another fight with her.

But now long would he be able to hold out? The shock, for the moment, has him frozen in place, unable to move. But that wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, something was going to give. Something would break the leevee, and he was going to lash out.

His aunt appeared to sense his growing anger, and her expression softened up. He could see a few fleeting expressions of regret, yet she never once spoke up to change her mind, never once tried to see things his way. She was firm in what she said, and her expression gave no indication that she was going to give him a break.

"I'm sorry, Rudy. I just can't let you." Aunt Tilly said, her voice deceptively calm. Rudy could detect the torrent of emotions running through her mind. It grazed against him, and he got a brief taste of its intensity. "It's probably too dangerous. I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I would...I would never forgive myself if something happened to you..." She lowered her head, taking in a shuddering breath. "I-I just wouldn't..."

Rudy remained silent. He watched as his aunt shivered a few times as she tried to deal with her own internal emotions. Rudy did his best to keep his anger in check. Despite his aunt's words not being particularly harsh, the fact that she was refusing to let him explore in ChalkZone to find his friend was eating away at his insides. And right now, her words were only serving to make him even _more_ furious.

How...how could she...? She knew how important this was to him. She knew how much he cared for his zoner friends. She knew how worried he was for Blocky. How could she just refuse to let him go into ChalkZone? If she understood his plight, then she would let him go. Why..why was she refusing him the right despite _claiming_ to understand?

Aunt Tilly looked at him sadly before moving back towards the table. "Now come along and eat, Rudy." Her voice was soft and quiet. She pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked over at Rudy and gave him a single nod. "Your food is getting cold." She motioned towards him. "Come on and join us."

Rudy stared at his aunt disbelievingly. He couldn't believe just how easily she was dismissing Blocky's plight. Sure he hasn't human, and he didn't expect his aunt to connect with him right away, especially since she never met him. But...did she really have to be this cold...? Couldn't she show him at least some level of sympathy? He was still alive for crying out loud. He wasn't some doll that he found laying on the street. He was a living, breathing person. How could Aunt Tilly act as if that didn't matter at all...?

Rudy seethed, narrowing his eyes at her. His aunt winced, but said nothing. Rudy's body might look mostly calm, but his mind was a different story. A rage of emotion swept through him, making him feel like something was weighing him down. He didn't attempt to walk forward or back; something was almost literally holding him down. He could only stare at her, his teeth clenched tightly.

"Now Rudy..." His aunt tried to say, raising up her hand. "There's no need to be upset. I am only looking out for you. And if these...zoners are as smart as you say they are..." She lowered her hand. "Then they can handle this _on their own_. I don't want you going in there anymore until we talk with your parents."

Rudy felt his heart skip a beat at this. "B-But I thought you..."

"I know, Rudy. But... I don't think I made the right decision." She twirled her food with her fork absentmindedly. "I only said it to make you happy, but I don't think I should have..because that wasn't the best choice to make for your own safety..." She sighed and looked back at Rudy, setting down her fork. "Your parents have every right to know about this, Rudy. They need to know about this chalk world that you have been hiding." Rudy shook his head at this. "Please, understand, Rudy. I am not doing this to be mean. I am just being reasonable..."

"_Reasonable_?!" Rudy cried, managing to take a step back. "Y-You're breaking a promise!"

"But for good reason, Rudy." His aunt placed a hand against herself. "I'm not fit in making this kind of decision..." She held her hand out to him. "It is your folks, your parents, who should decide if you should be able to continue going into this strange, new world or not. Not me. It was never my decision to make."

"Y-You can't do this..." Rudy said softly, taking another step back. His body trembled. "You can't break a promise, Aunt Tilly! You always told me that promises can't be broken like this... _You can't_..."

"I'm sorry, Rudy. But the decision is final." Aunt Tilly's voice came more firmly this time, indicating just how serious she was being with that statement. "Now..." She pointed to a chair where a plate of food and cup of water was available. "Eat now. You must be hungry."

"No." Rudy shook his head.

"Rudy..." Aunt Tilly said. "You aren't going into that chalk world, so you might as well stop trying. Now sit down and eat."

"No, I won't, Aunt Tilly." Rudy said, narrowing his eyes. "I am not going to turn my back on my friend, who may very well need my help. I can't just abandon him, Aunt Tilly. Why can't you see that?"

"Why can't you just listen to reason, Rudy?" Asked Aunt Tilly.

Rudy snapped his head back at this. "You think I'm being unreasonable?!" He pointed a finger in her direction. "_I'm_ not the one who is turning a blind eye to someone who might be in danger! _I'm_ not the one who is holding someone else back from helping someone they care about!"

Aunt Tilly stared at him for a few moments. She sighed and shook her head, giving him a look that was reminsicent of disappointment. Rudy gritted his teeth at this. "Rudy, I wish you would try to see things my way. Try to understand I am just trying to help you. I don't see why you are so concerned for this chalk creature."

"_He's my friend_!" Rudy snapped.

"Okay, your _friend_." Aunt Tilly shrugged her shoulders. "I still don't see why you should get this upset. I mean...you say he's made of chalk right? Well, can't you just fix any of his injuries, if he's even capable of getting them, or even redraw him completely...?"

At this, Rudy coud feel something break inside of him. Although his aunt didn't seem like she was being intentionally mean, just something about the _way_ she said those words... He could feel his body shaking as emotion welled up inside of him. He took a few steps backwards, his eyes unable to leave hers. He tried his best to keep his emotions in check, but he could feel them seeping through the tips of his fingers, draining out into the ground like a leaky faucet.

It was then that Rudy realized that, despite their earlier forgiveness of each other, there was still a lot of treading to do, and some more understanding to be put into place. His aunt obviously didn't fully understand anything, despite what she said earlier. She couldn't grasp how important this world was to her. And as of now, with her current stance, she was an enemy. Still a family member, and not someone he could ever truly hate. But an enemy nonetheless.

It pained him to see his aunt that way. But how else could he see her now? She was trying to stop him from going into ChalkZone. She broke a promise and she was going to tell his parents about it. His parents won't be back for a little while yet, which means he would miss a few days searching.

True, Penny could search but..he felt he should, too. Blocky was his _friend_. He couldn't just...

Rudy let out a stiff sigh, feeling his negative emotion course through his body, focusing on his finger tips. As much as he wanted to just get up and run away, he wanted to avoid another full on confrontation with his aunt. He already had to deal with it yesterday; he didn't want something else happening now. Looking at the chair, he slowly, numbly, walked towards it and sat down.

He stared at his food, refusing to look at his aunt. He couldn't tell if she was smiling, if she looked at him worriedly, or anything. He was only aware of her looking at him, as well as Sophie, and that's it.

"Rudy? _Rudy_?" Sophie called out to him, trying to get his attention.

Rudy blocked her out. In his mind, he was sorting through his thoughts, trying to figure out his next move. Since his aunt was so unwilling to cooperate, he would need to speak to Penny somehow. Maybe his aunt would at least give him that privilege. Hey, he wouldn't be going into ChalkZone at least.

He would ask her later. Right now, he was still too fueled with emotion to make a proper response to her, or even word his question more respectively. His aunt also looked pretty flustered from trying to explain her point of view. He would try after he finished eating. He hoped that, after he spoke to her a little more, and after speaking with Penny, that his aunt would come to truly understand where he's coming from and let him go back into ChalkZone.

In the meantime, he could only hope that nothing too terrible was happening to his friend. Who knows? Maybe when all of this was over, they could have a good laugh about how worked up he had gotten over nothing.

If only...

sss

"Oh gee...I'm sorry you and Rudy got into trouble with your folks." Rapsheeba said, looking sympathically at Penny. "I do hope everything turns out all right."

Penny nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah...me too."

She glanced up towards the Day Zone sky, reflecting on the recent events. She and Rudy certainly weren't expecting to be sent to dention today, or for the next few school days for that matter. As a result, both she and Rudy got into trouble at home as well, not just school. She was lucky that her mother didn't punish her by taking away her chalkboards, otherwise, she would not have been able to come in at all.

She felt a little guilty about the incident. She couldn't help but feel as though she had more control over the situation, that perhaps she should have been more careful and watched out for Mr. Wilter. Talking in the classroom was a risky move, and she knew that Mr. Wilter wasn't always in the best of moods. And when he was in a less than pleasing mood...

Well there was nothing that could be done about that. She and Rudy would just have to adjust to the detentions, and hope that they would find Blocky before the weekend was over. At least it was friday, and come saturday and sunday, they had a lot more time to explore around ChalkZone in search for their friend.

At least, she did. Rudy, however, was a whole different situation. She bit her lip. She hoped that things would work out for his friend. Poor Rudy...she couldn't begin to imagine what he must be going through right now.

"Hey..." Rapsheeba's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Where's Rudy...?"

Penny gave Rapsheeba a saddened look. It was right then she realized that she hadn't yet told Rapsheeba, or Snap or anyone, about the incident with Rudy's aunt. Now was a good time as any to tell one of them. "There was a...mishap earlier..." Penny said, clenching her teeth. "I'm...afraid I have some bad news, Rapsheeba."

The female zoner looked at Penny warily, her eyes filling with apprehension. She hesitated for a few moments before she managed to get herself speaking, "Y-Yeah..? Wh-What is it..?" When Penny didn't say anything, Rapsheeba took a step forward. "Penny, what happened...?"

Penny stared at Rapsheeba in the eyes. It was going to be so hard to tell her about this. It was such a horrible piece of news. It had happened two other times in the past, and neither of those were pleasant experiences, especially the one. And for it to happen yet again... But she knew she couldn't keep this information secret. Sooner or later, someone was going to find out.

"Rapsheeba...another human has discovered ChalkZone." Penny said, delivering the horrifying news.

"What?!" Rapsheeba put her hands to her mouth, horror blanketing her face, her eyes widening. "Who? How? When?"

"Rudy's aunt, Tilly, found out. She apparently saw the portal on the chalkboard. We don't know the details of everything that happened, but..." Penny bit her lip, looking left and right. "We don't know what Tilly will want to do with ChalkZone. We don't know if she's on our side or not. That's...still up and the air, unfortuantely."

Rapsheeba took in a few shaky breaths, turning her head to one side. "I-I don't believe it..." She breathed softly, her voice barely audible. "I can't believe it's happened again.."

Penny nodded. "Rudy and I can't believe it either." Penny paused for a moment before continuing, "That's why Rudy isn't here. He's in trouble with his aunt. I would not be surprised if she is trying to keep him out of ChalkZone." She clutched her head, shaking it slowly. "As if finding Blocky wasn't stressful enough..now we have to deal with this..."

"I-Is there anything else...?" Rapsheeba asked tentatively.

"Why would you..." Penny's voice trailed off, her eyes bulging. Yeah...there was something else. Something just as urgent, if not more so. "The chalkboard...it had a portal on it... and Tilly apparently sold it."

Rapsheeba gasped audibly. "Sold..with the portal _still_ on it..?"

Penny said, "Yeah...unfortunately." She closed her eyes solemnly. "And the person who has the portal... It's..." Penny could feel her blood turning to ice as she realized she and Rudy had so much trouble with Tilly and then school that they had little time to discuss this very imoprtant detail. "...Terry Bouffant has the portal..."

Rapsheeba let out a loud gasp, taking a step away from Penny. She stared at her for a while, her eyes overflowing with fear. Penny could tell that she wanted to speak, but the shere horror of finding something like this out had took her voice away from her. The lack of a response was something that Penny had accounted for. This wasn't something as simple as, say, Skrawl or some new villain making a move. They were easily handled by comparison. A human finding a way into ChalkZone, however, was a much different story.

The implications were _through the roof_. A human had more power in ChalkZone then the zoners themselves. A single human could cause a lot more damage to ChalkZone than any zoner villain, and that was just _one_. If Terry or Vinnie succeeded in exposing it, she knew just how awful and terrifying the repurcussions would be.

And the zoners would know it as well. Despite how calm some of them might be, deep inside, Penny knew that many of them were rather cautious with the idea of humans in ChalkZone. She and Rudy were tolerated because they had proven that they were trustworthy. _But a new human_...? Even if the zoners are nice to a newcomer, and they typically are in hopes of warding off dangerous behavior, they would still be concerned. After all, if a human so chose to, they could make something incredibly dangerous and kill zoners just for the fun of it.

She could just imagine the disaster that would result from multiple humans coming into ChalkZone. And how would the zoners react to it? She imagined most would try to hide or try to be non-threatening, while at least some would try to fight back. How long would they last? Penny feared not that long. And what if they go too far? If a zoner _killed_ a human...

She knew things would only go downhill from there. Killing a human woud incite vengefulness in her species. Penny knew how her own kind could be when it came to stuff like that. An animal that has killed a human is usually killed. But some take it much further and she knew that at least some woud deem all zoners as dangerous. Those zoners who were only trying to help their people would end up _dooming_ it if they ended up hurting a human badly or even killing them.

Penny hoped that they would be able to stop the situation before it escalated that far. If they could locate where Terry was, where that portal was located, they could erase the portal before she could even use it. The task was simple, but getting there would be hard. She would need the zoners to form search parties to find it before Terry could begin to make use of it.

"Don't worry, though." Penny said, her voice gentle as she did her best to calm the panicking female zoner. "We should be able to take care of it. There's still time. We just need to..."

Rapsheeba shook her head once. "What do you mean? If she has the portal, then..." At this, she whipped her head to one side, looking at their sunny surroundings. "I..I hope we can..."

"I'm sure we will." Penny said.

"How can you be so sure?" Rapsheeba said, still staring out at the grassy hills in front of them. "If this Bouffant woman has the portal, then it's only a matter of time before she decides to use it. And she could be _anywhere_... None of us knows where the portal is. She may have it hidden well. And she might be waiting until we expect it the least to use it and..."

"Rapsheeba..." Penny reached out and touched the zoner's shoulder. Rapsheeba stiffened at this, and looked over at Penny, her eyes still wide in fear. "It's going to be okay." She tried to sound as hopeful as she could.

Rapsheeba cocked up an eyebrow. "_How_..?"

Penny took a moment to look around the land they were in. She soon turned back to Rapsheeba and said, "Do you see any humans coming in here? Did you notice an increase in unusual activities in the past day or two?"

Rapsheeba opened her mouth to speak. She turned her head left and right, her eyes shifting around, as if trying to scan everything. She soon turned to Penny. She remained quiet, taking in a few breaths. Penny noticed that she was relaxing a little as realization seemed to be dawning on her. "N-No..." She managed to say, her voice very faint.

"Exactly. If Terry had exposed ChalkZone, then there would be a whole flood of newcomers here. _More humans_ invading this world, _more_ dangerous, reckless creations, perhaps even people coming here trying to assert their control over every zoner here."

Penny flinched when she said that. The idea was very uncomfortable. She would hate to see her zoner friends subjected to such a thing. Most of the humans that come would likely not see the zoners as people, so they would not get the best treatment. She could only envision a poor, horrible future for them.

"We still have time, Rapsheeba." Penny said softly. "We still have time..."

With that, Penny wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her into a hug. She did what she could to calm down Rapsheeba, assuring her that there was still hope for ChalkZone. She gently rubbed her back and whispered soft, comforting words to her. Rapsheeba was still frightened, but she was, slowly, settling down.

As Penny continued to hug her friend, she lifted up her head and look a look around. She took in the sights all around her. The grass swaying with the occasional wind. The clouds and sun that hung overhead. The trees decorating the land, more sparsely in some places. Some zoners walking around, some too far away to make the details. The distant buildings of civilization.

All of it served to remind Penny of something. Just how much the zoners could lose if Terry did expose ChalkZone... The thought was frightening. Just picturing it turned her blood into ice. There was so much at stake here. Everything around her...it was something that could be torn down in a matter of seconds. All it would take was just one irresponsible or cruel person with a piece of magic chalk, and the desire to to do something like that. And she already knew a number of people who would.

"Are we..going to tell Snap...?" Rapsheeba asked as she pulled away from Penny, her hands on her shoulders. "Did you plan on talking with him today?"

Penny nodded her head. "I was going to wait for Rudy to come, but he's having problems right now." She looked towards ChalkZone City. "It's best that we tell Snap as soon as possible."

Nodding in response, Rapsheeba said, "Agreed. I don't think it's a good idea to keep..._this_...from Snap."

Without another word, the two friends began to make their trek towards ChalkZone City. Thankfully, it wasn't incredibly far away. Penny hoped that Snap would be able to think of something that they could try. She had no idea when Rudy will be back in ChalkZone. The sooner they tried something, the better. If they could find the portal and take care of that at least...

She also hoped that they would figure out what happened to Blocky. After she visited Snap and spoke to him, she planned on using whatever time she had left in ChalkZone to speak to some more zoners on the issue. Maybe one of them had found something on the case. She hoped so. Then everything will go back to normal.

sss

Von couldn't help but smile in enthusiasm, his chest filling up with excitement, as he proceeded to begin the first experiment. He had been waiting _far too long_ for this...

Okay, so it was only a day. Terry didn't want him trying anything on him the first day. He wasn't sure why. Maybe she just wanted to reorient her thoughts and her plans now that they had this chalk creature. Oh whatever. The point was that he could not really harm Blocky at all yesterday, although he could frighten him. And that's what he did. Give him a taste of what was to come.

Now he could finally start that said fun. Terry gave the okay. Von wasn't sure why sure why he was listening to her, or why he was letting her take over. He briefly felt a burning sensation in his chest, but he shrugged it off. Right now, it didn't matter who was in charge. He was _still_ getting what he wanted.

He watched as the zoner struggled, pulling himself as hard as he could to either side. He was trying to break the cuffs, despite the fact that he was injuring himself in the process. He knew he was cutting into his wrists. He could see the tiny bits of blood now forming. However, he wasn't worried about him going too far. Blocky did not appear suicidal, if that was even a thing for these zoners. He would stop eventually, whether from pain or from the fear of dying. If he didn't, he and Terry would find a way to stop him for good.

"_No! Please_! D-Don't do this..." Blocky said, whimpering softly. His body shivered in fright as he stared at Von. "You...you can't...please... I-I don't want this..."

"Too bad. I do." Von said coolly. He pulled out the eyedropper, the insides filled with water. "And this is an important experiment to conduct. I must get this out of the way first before we can proceed."

Blocky shook his head in desperation. "Please..._don't_!"

Von ignored him. He moved slowly towards the bound zoner. He took his time, not wanting to drip over anything to drop his clipboard that he was carrying in his arm. He stopped partway there and turned his head to the side. He could see Terry standing there. She had her arms folded against her chest as she watched the zoner, no sympathy in her eyes. She looked at Von and nodded her head, motioning for him to continue. He would ask her to hold the clipboard and record the findings there, but she had already made it clear that she will not do that; he was the scientist after all.

Von ignored the annoyance rising up in his chest as he focused on the frightened little zoner before him. He soon reached Blocky, closing the space rather quickly. He looked Blocky over with his eyes first, ignoring his pleas as he tried to find a suitable spot to test first. He needed an area that wasn't vital, something that wouldn't kill him anytime soon.

Von put the eyedropper in his pocket and he began to feel around Blocky's body. His fingertips kneaded the flesh, if it could be called that, trying to find an area that was noticeably thicker. It was hard to find something in this zoner due to how flat he was, so it was all just going to be guesswork. Hmm...not unless he...

"Please..why do you have to do this?" Blocky asked, staring up at the scientist. "C-C-Can't you think of something less..._painful_...?"

"Like what?" Von asked, although he had no intention of actually taking the zoner's suggestions.

"I-I don't know..." Blocky looked left and right. "M-Maybe a treadmill? Or lift weights? Or..."

Von shook his head. "I'm sorry. But no. That will do me no good." He tilted his head, staring intently down at the zoner. "None of that will reveal too much of how your body works. And if you honestly think this is bad..." He pulled his hand away to take out the eyedropper again. "Then you don't know how _lucky you are_. I could easily decide to see how your body looks and _cut you open_. I could decide you are of no use to me alive and kill you."

Blocky whined at this and started to struggle harder. Von just gave him a crooked half smile.

"However, you are far too important for that...for now anyway." Von said.

"What do you mean...?" The zoner asked quietly.

Von ignored his question completely. He resumed looking around Blocky as he tried to figure out just which part to use. He straightened himself up, pressing his hand against his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Hmm... say, Blocky..." The zoner fell silent. "What area do you think I should put _this_ on?" He showed him the eyedropper.

"Nowhere! That's Real World water! It'll hurt me!" Screeched the zoner. "D-Don't put that anywhere _near_ me!"

"But I need to know if it actually hurts you or not." Von said.

"I told you already! It does! Please..don't do it!" Blocky pleaded with him. "I-If you want to know anything..just ask me! _I-I'll talk_!"

"Oh really?" Terry spoke up from her position. A smile spread across her face. "Then...can you tell us how we can get into ChalkZone then?"

Blocky's eyes widened at that. "Anything but that! No!"

Terry frowned at this. "Very well then..." She motioned with her hand for Von to continue.

Von raised up the eyedropper, positioning it over Blocky's body. The zoner squirmed as Von began to apply a little pressure to the dropper. He didn't go too far, and he soon stopped altogether. He watched as Blocky shivered, his eyes shut as he waited for the blow. When it didn't come, the clearly confused chalk creature looked up at him. "Why don't you tell me where I can drop this without it causing much damage.."

Blocky shook his head. "I-I don't want it anywhere on me..."

"Is that so? Well then..." He looked intentlly at the space between the zoner's eyes. "I could try here. This looks like a good spot." He moved the eyedropper to that space.

"_No! Not there_!" Blocky screeched.

"Oh? What about here?" The eyedropper was now positioned above what he assumed to be the creature's skull. "Is this better?"

"No! Worse!" Blocky panicked, his heart pounding so loud, Von could practically feel it. "That would kill me!"

"All right then..." Von narrowed his eyes as he lowered the eyedropper. The zoner gave a sigh of relief when the dangerous object was placed away from him. But the terrified look returned when Von spoke up again. "Then pick a part. I will drop this on you no matter what. If you want to reduce the amount of pain you feel, then you will tell me what place would be the best."

"B-But... Isn't there something else that..."

Von's answer was short and ice cold. "_No_."

Blocky took in a couple quick breaths as he looked left and right. He appeared to be trying to think of a way out of this. He could practically see his mind's gears grinding, filtering out the possibilities, and what he could and couldn't try. Von was pleased to see his expression became more desperate, more hopeless as he realized that he truly could not win. Nothing he said or did was going to help him out of here.

Closing his eyes in defeat, Blocky said, "M-My side...the very edge of it.."

"Oh?" Von placed a finger on the zoner's side, where the side just ended, cutting out into nothingness. "You mean right here?"

Blocky nodded his head, a few fearful tears moving down his cheeks. He looked up at Von with watery eyes. "...make it quick..." With that, he shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the scientist to make his move.

Von did not take too much time. He placed the eyedropper over the side. He occassionally looked at the zoner, watching as he would swiftly alternate between looking and having his eyes shut. Upon seeing the eyedropper, he heard the zoner give a fearful whine, his body shaking harder. Von placed his hand down on his chest and stomach, or at least that's what he thought it was, and then he squeezed the eyedropper. In a few seconds, a large drop of water landed on the zoner, followed by a few more in different locations on the zoner's flank.

The reaction was instantaneous.

"_Ahhhhh_!" The rectangular creature's screams echoed in the air, his thrashing increasing, pushing against the cuffs. "_Make it stop! Make it stop_! Please, it hurts too much! Please, I... _Ahhhh_!"

Von covered up his ears as the zoner's loud screaming filled his head, nearly making his eardrums bust open. He looked over at Terry, seeing her cringing away, reacting to the screaming as well. Von dropped the item to the ground, along with his charts and clipboard, as he put his hands on the side of his head, trying to ride out the screams.

He opened up one eye and stared down at the screaming zoner. He could see steam rising up from where he had let the water drop. His eye bulged open in horror as he saw just how gruesome it really was.

The flesh was _burning_. Not just dissolving as he would have expected with him being chalk, but actually burning. The wound edges were black and spreading a little, looking similar to burnt paper. The wound itself, raw and red, looked like some of the most severe blisters he had ever seen. They were deep and blood poured rapidly from the wounds. Even though he had not dropped a lot of water on him, with the fact that he was flat and the water was eating away at him, spreading, it took no high leven of genius to know why the zoner was reacting this way.

Even though he did not care about Blocky's well being, since he wasn't human, he couldn't help but feel..._disturbed_ by this experiment. It was clear that water really did hurt him, and though he knew it would be fatal if used too much, he never expected it to look this _bad_.

Blocky was crying at this point. He was turning his head the best he could, tugging in vain at his cuffs, hoping to escape the agony. He didn't even try to speak anymore. He just wailed painfully, his sobs echoing in the room. Tears stained his cheeks, staining it a slight red.

"What are you waiting for?" Terry's panicked voice filled the air. "_Stop it before he expires_!"

Von shook his head, snapping himself out of the trance he was in. He looked around, trying to find something to use. He soon spotted a cloth nearby. He rushed over and grabbed onto it. The man wasted no time in bringing it over to Blocky.

Von immediately pressed the cloth against Blocky's side. He winced when he saw the previously white cloth take on a disgusting brownish color with a tingue of red and green. The cloth easily absorbed the water that had started to soak into the zoner's body, and the steam rapidly stopped, creating something of a sizzle sound, as if it were smoke being put out. Or maybe that was just his imagination due to how similar the water burn spread was compared to that of burning paper.

When it was all over, he pulled the cloth away. He shuddered when he saw the crusted parts of dead chalk flesh on the cloth. He couldn't detect any kind of smell other than some faint chalk, but the physical representation was all still there. It was as if the cloth had been dipped in chunky, dark-colored chalk and blood and moved around in there a bit. Despite being made of chalk, it was a rather disturbing sight. As was his side himself. Von found it hard to look away from the gaping hole now present in the zoner, fresh blood _still_ spilling out.

"Th-There...n-n-now you know..." Blocky said in a low whimper. His body quivered constantly in agony. "N-N-Now will you p-please let me g-g-go..?"

Von didn't answer him. His mind was still racing from what he had seen. He had just gotten the first clue of just how alive this creature was. The reaction to the water...it was definitely something he would expect an animal or human to do if exposed to acid. It was a rather.._uncomfortable sight_.

But...that was all in the day's work for a scientist. Experiments must be performed in order to understand things better. He knew of some scientists who dissected and vivisected animals. He had done the same thing himself a few times before. Gruesome sights like this were common. This allowed him to quickly recover from what he had just seen, assuming his more cold demeanor from before. Terry still looked a little shaken up, but Von didn't pay much attention to her. She would be fine.

Von stared at the hole in the zoner's side, where the water had been. He tilted his head to one side. Out of curiosity, he lowered his fingers towards the hole, flexing his fingers a little. He wondered...

Blocky let out yelps of pain as Von pressed his finger against the wound. He moved it around lightly, feeling the burnt skin, noting how similiar it felt to actual burnt skin he had to deal with before. Ignoring the tears in the zoner's eyes, the face contorting in pain, Von pushed the finger inside the wound. Not deeply, just enough for him to wiggle his finger around. Blocky squirmed on the table. A few seconds later, Von pulled his finger out. He stared at it. Blood clung to his finger, but it had a different texture. It didn't even _feel_ wet, despite all appearances. It felt much more.._dry_.

_Just like he'd expect in chalk_.

"Hmm...interesting." Von said softly. "You reacted to the water quite...negatively, to put it mildly. And your blood...it doesn't feel like anything I've felt before. I'd say this experiment was a success."

"So..you'll stop..?" Blocky asked hopefully.

"Oh, I'm _so sorry_, but no. There's still _more_. But don't worry." Von raised his hand up, staring intently at the chalk blood still on his finger tip. "We won't be using anymore... Real World water as you say...in our experiments."

In an act that horrified Blocky and startled Terry, Von decided to do one more test real quick. He placed his finger in his mouth, lapping up the blood. It easily disintegrated in his mouth, and he immediately spat it out. Yep...it tasted just like chalk.

Ignoring the look he was getting from Terry, Von focused his attention back on Blocky. "Experiment One was a success. I wonder how you will fair with _Experiment Two_."

"Wh-What's that...?"

"Oh you'll find out. It's not as bad as this but..." Von smiled. "Well, let's just say it's _still_ no picnic..."

"No..please..." Whimpered Blocky. "N-No more...please..."

Ignoring him, Von turned his head towards Terry. At this point, her shocked expression was completely gone, having recovered from the shock. "I'm going to need your help transporting him."

Terry nodded as she walked over. "Where are we taking him?"

"In layman's terms, the stretching machine."

sss

"I've already explained it to you, Aunt Tilly." Rudy said. "Why do you want me to explain it all over again?"

"Because...I..I just want a refresher. This is all..so much for me to take in." Tilly replied. She placed a hand on her head, rubbing it gently. "I know you're upset with me for not letting you go back into that world, Rudy. I don't like making you upset. I just...still need time to talk to your folks and understanding this world and..."

"But Aunt Tilly...! You _can't_ tell them! Please...just keep this between us..." Rudy pleaded with her.

Tilly sighed at this. "Rudy, you know I can't do that..." She shook her head from side to side. "I can't keep something like this from your folks...especially your mother. I never lied to my sister before, and I'm not goign to start now."

"Please..." Rudy begged. "I-I don't feel comfortable telling you unless you promise not to tell my parents. And this time, keep it. Please..you don't understand how disastrous this is. You're not supposed to know about this world!"

Tilly narrowed her eyes at this. This hadn't been the first time that Rudy said something like that. She couldn't understand why he would say such a thing. Why didn't he want her or his folks to know about this world? Yeah he tried to explain it to her, but she was still so confused. And he still didn't explain something else that well.

"What makes you _so damn special_?"

Tilly's eyes widened at that. She felt a sharp jab in her chest. She watched as Rudy flinched at this, leaning away from her. Her daughter didn't seem to fully understand the words, but her tone and inflexion was enough to make Sophie give her a quick, wary look before turning back to her coloring and drawing. Tilly felt bad for her, having to be caught up in this mess. This certainly isn't how she had pictured things going. Things never got this screwed up before.

Her attention shifting back to her nephew, she felt another pang of guilt. She hadn't meant to say such a cold thing to him. She just...didn't understand why he... She growled in frustration, gripping her head tighter, pressing the tips of her fingers against her scalp. This was all so confusing. Why would Rudy not want them in, but remain determined to stay in and... She wished she could understand.

She hated not being able to understand. She didn't like not seeing things from his point of view. She wanted to be fair. She was doing what she could with the knowledge that she had. But even then...she had no idea if she was doing the right thing. If she could just understand Rudy's motivation for keeping them out... He explained it to her, but she still didn't get it. And she didn't get why Rudy felt that he had the right to go in, but not them. What was so different?

"I'm sorry, Rudy." Tilly said, rubbing her temples. "I didn't mean to let that slip out. I..." She looked over at Rudy. She could see a bit of a flicker in his eye, and she resisted the urge to wince. It was a brief reminder of what she had done to him the other day. She did not want a repeat of that. She quickly said, "Why do you think that you and Penny can still go, can still know about this place, but..no one else?"

Rudy paused, clearly trying to think of what to say. He furrowed his eyes in deep thought. Tilly waited politely for him to answer.

"It's because Penny and I care about this place. We have been entrusted to guard it, to keep it a secret. The zoners there trust us, and we have earned that. We recognize them as people, and not just living drawings."

"I don't get it." Tilly said, cocking an eyebrow. "Isn't that ultimately what they are? _Just drawings_?"

Rudy shook his head, glaring softly at her. "They're _alive_, Aunt Tilly. They're no different than us. Yes, some look radically different, but deep down, they're the same. They have emotions, feelings, ambitions, dreams, fears..." He spread his hands outward. "You can't judge them from their outward appearances or what they're made of, Aunt Tilly. That would be like them judging us for being made of carbon."

"That's different. We were _born_, not _created_." Tilly pointed out. Surely, Rudy knew this. There was a big difference between being drawn and being born.

"They are _still_ born. They are drawn, erased, and that's when they are born. They are born differently from us, yes, born into whatever age they were intended to be. The point is, they still have a birthday, and they can still die, just like us. You look at an x-ray of them, you will find organs and bones and blood and everything."

Tilly would have pointed out the fallacy of that, considering that's not how x-rays worked, but that wasn't the point Rudy was trying to make. Tilly thought about what he said. A part of her saw something of what he was trying to say. Yet..she still remained unconvinced. Something about this just didn't...feel right. The zoners still felt so..._wrong_.

"They are still _drawings_ at the end of the day." Said Tilly. She realized she may have sounded a little colder than she had meant to, but she still remained firm. "I don't see why you are trying to keep everyone out of that world, Rudy. I would understand more if this was a selfish desire, keeping it all to yourself."

"_It's not_!" Rudy cried.

"I know. And that's what has me so confused." Tilly leaned back against the couch, Rudy positioned next to her, Sophie in front of the couch, busy drawing. "Treating drawings like _people_... Rudy, I think you have hung out with them for so long that you started to..."

"That's not true!" Rudy slammed a fist against his own thigh. He flinched in pain. "We weren't brainwashed, Aunt Tilly! Snap is my _best friend_! I am not imagining him as a person! He is a _person_!"

Tilly flinched at the boy's yelling. She cringed back slightly, realizing she was probably going a little too far. She knew that the boy felt strongly about this place. She needed to be more careful with what she said. Clearing her throat, she said, "All right then. So let's say they are alive. That still doesn't explain why you two are permitted there, but your own families aren't." She looked at Rudy sadly, motioning a hand to herself. "Don't you trust us, Rudy?"

"I do. I'm sorry if it seems like I don't." Rudy lowered his head. "This isn't so much about how much we trust you..." He closed his eyes. "It's that...you guys care about us so much...and if you found out anything bad about ChalkZone, you'd pull us out of it so fast and...then that world would be without a defender. Believe me, Aunt Tilly..I've wanted so much to tell you guys." He turned to give her a sideways glance. "But no matter how much I trust you...there's still that chance that you guys might do something drastic."

Tilly was immediately reminded of how she reacted to finding out. She realized, on some level, that the boy did have a good point. She did react quite harshly to it. Was this what Rudy was worried about? Their reactions?

Then again, a part of her couldn't help but believe it was Rudy's fault. He should have told them right away. She would have been less angry if it had been just a week or so since he discovered it, as opposed to a couple years. If he had just come forward, they could have spoken about this and come up with an agreement, and all of this would have been gotten out of the way. Instead, he chose to cover it up, lie to everyone... She could feel her stomach twisting again, some old anger rising up.

Keeping herself controlled, letting out a sigh through her clenched teeth, Tilly said, "So it's a first come, first served thing?" Her voice was a little cold, but she was trying her best not to sound so antagonistic.

Rudy shook his head. "It wasn't like that at all. I just kind of..found the place. I had to earn my position as ChalkZone's protector; the zoners didn't just one day make me their guardian. And since I knew of the place, I had to accept the burden of keeping it a secret. Biclops showed me what happened to ChalkZone when rogue creators used to run amok. I couldn't let that happen again."

"And what of Penny?" Tilly asked. "Did she just...happen to be with you at the time and..."

"No. She didn't know about it at the time." Rudy explaiend. "She actually didn't find out until...I forget how long it's been. But at least a few months."

Tilly's eyes widened at this. "You mean to say that you ran amok in that world for nearly two years without anyone else knowing, and then you decided to tell Penny about it?" She stared at Rudy in shock. "Instead of your own family, you chose Penny? You could tell her but not us?"

"I..." Rudy started to say.

"How could you...do that, Rudy...? We're your family. We love you. How could you see it fit to tell Penny, but not any of us? Not me, or your mom or your dad... Why, Rudy..? Why...?"

Tilly couldn't help but feel very hurt by this confession. Rudy had just admitted that he had told Penny about this world a short time ago, and yet, he still resisted when it came to telling his family. Not that she had anything against Penny, but what made her so special that Rudy could confide in her, but not his own family? The same people he had known growing up? The same people who had shown, time and again, how much they loved and trusted him?

A sharp pang shot through her heart. She clutched her chest, turning away from Rudy. The boy remained silent, not saying a word. Tilly didn't bother looking at him, fighting back the burning sensation rising inside her stomach. That old anger from before was returning. This time, it was stronger, intermixed with the bitter feeling of betrayal and hurt. She had thought that Rudy and Penny found out together. But to know that Rudy found it first, and then nearly two years later, told Penny, but no one else...

Perhaps Rudy had told her about it already. At the moment, though, she couldn't really remember. Her mind was swirling with emotions, ripping through her mind as she tried to make sense of this. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She could feel her own body start to tremble, and, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rudy moving away from her, as if he sensed something was wrong. Well, he was right on that. Something was wrong.

"How could you choose Penny over your own family?" Growled Tilly. Rudy didn't answer save for a few stammers. She whipped her head over, glaring at the boy. "Why was Penny so deserving of this special knowledge, but no one else? Why did you think Penny was trustworthy enough to know about ChalkZone, but no one in your family?"

"Please, Aunt Tilly..." Rudy's voice was small, quiet. "I...I don't know, okay? I just..." Rudy let out a frustrated sigh. "I know you must be so angry with me, Aunt Tilly. I didn't mean for it to go this far. But I was just so worried that something might happen to this place and..." A pause. "Can I please go into ChalkZone? I really want to find my friend and..."

"Oh no. You aren't changing the subject that easily." Tilly said, shooting her nephew a glare. "We are going to continue our talk and then maybe I'll let you go into this..." She resisted the urge to say something nasty. "..world that you care about so much." She flinched at how cold she sounded.

"Please, Aunt Tilly, I..." Rudy stopped when Tilly glared at him again. He lowered his head and sighed. "Okay...what else would you like to know..?"

Tilly thought about this. She knew exactly what she was going to ask. If she was going to make a proper decision on whether or not to allow Rudy to go back, with or without his parents knowing, then there was something that she needed to know.

"Tell me what dangers there are in this ChalkZone, Rudy." Tilly said sternly, folding her arms against her chest. "Tell me everything that you know of."

sss

Snap stared at Penny in disbelief, his eyes widened. He tried to make sense of what she said. He tried to fight back the urge to scream. He tried his best to remain calm about the situation. But..how could he remain calm at a time like this?

"You're...you're kidding...right...?"

Snap already knew the answer to that. As soon as Penny shook her head, he knew that she was not lying. She wouldn't lie. Not about this. He could feel his heart clenching up tightly, a feeling of toxicity moving through him. He shivered, feeling a sudden chill. He would have laid down if he weren't already doing so right now. He grabbed onto his head and gently rubbed it.

How could something like _this_ have happened? While he had asked himself that many times before, while he knew the futility of doing so, it was automatic, something that he just couldn't help but do. He often wanted clarity, to fully understand just..._why_.

"I'm sorry, Snap." Penny said, lowering her head. "I wish I could have brought you much better news."

Snap stared at her, not answering. He was too wrapped up in his mind to answer her. The full implications of what she said weighed down on him. His mind was going a million miles per hour. He tried to get himself to settle down, but it was useless. And seeing the looks on Penny's face, as well as Rapsheeba's, it wasn't like he was alone in this. They, too, were also very worried.

After all, a creator finding an entrance into ChalkZone was a huge deal. It was one of the worst news that could possibly be given.

And what made this worse was...this human was _Terry Bouffant_...

Snap felt his blood turn to ice at this. Out of all the humans that could have found a way in, it just had to be one of the two that had been trying to expose it. Terry had attempted to reveal ChalkZone to the world before and she very nearly succeeded. Although she was stopped, it was mostly dumb luck. Things could have so easily gone wrong. If he hadn't been stupid enough to hang onto her arm and get stuck back in ChalkZone...

Or no...that could have made things much worse. What if Terry chose to lock him up? She could have trapped him in a place where he couldn't use his 2D powers to escape. If that were the case, then how could he have warned Rudy? Perhaps getting locked back out had been a good thing.

Not that it did them any good right now. Terry had a portal to ChalkZone. It was something that Rudy and Penny had only just realized, as it hadn't dawned on them earlier. With the incident with Rudy's aunt, it wasn't like he could blame them. But now they had a whole new situation on their hands. It was one thing to try to deal with Rudy's aunt. _But Terry_... How were they going to stop her...?

"At least she hadn't used the portal yet..." Penny said softly. "If she did, we would have noticed by now."

"That's true." Snap nodded his head. A part of him relaxed a little with that realization. She was right. Terry wouldn't waste her time that much. Not with how much she wanted to show the world. "No new creators romping about or anything." He gave a small smile at this. A weak attempt at hiding just how much fear was inside of him. "So..that's something at least."

"For now at least. She still has the portal. It's only a matter of time before she uses it." Rapsheeba rubbed her hands nervously. "As soon as she does..."

Penny's eyes widened softly. "I know, Rapsheeba. We..won't be able to stop her." She shook her head slowly her eyes shutting. "Not unless we knew where she was."

"Which means you need to round up a search party." Snap pointed out. "There are plenty of zoners who would be willing to do that. I would love to, but as you can see, I'm stuck here. Doctor's orders."

Rapsheeba smiled. "Well don't worry. Doc said tomorrow, you can leave."

Snap was glad to hear some good news out of this. "_Finally_! I won't be confined to this place anymore!" He motioned his hand towards Penny. "And I'll finally be able to help you and Bucko!"

Penny's mouth ticked up at this. "That would be nice."

The brief happiness in the room didn't last that long. It faded away quickly as everyone found themselves going back to the topic before, regarding the portal and Terry. They all couldn't help but feel a sense of glumniness, worry, and fear. How were they going to handle this situation? What were they going to do to get the portal back from Terry?

Snap shivered as an uncomfortable thought entered his mind. It seemed rather strange that Terry would have the portal, but not yet use it. What was holding her back? Was she somehow unaware of the portal, or was she...?

Upon seeing Penny and Rapsheeba stare at him, their eyes wide with concern, he whispered softly, "What...what if she's just...biding her time..?"

Penny tilted her head. "We already thought about that, Snap. We..."

"What if she is planning more thoroughly this time? What if she realizes we are going to try to find the portal...and she is _setting up a defense_?" Snap's voice took on a haunting tone at this. "What if she is waiting for us, ready to trap us, or do whatever to slow us down? What if she is prepared this time?"

Rapsheeba and Penny glanced at each other worriedly.

Snap wasn't quite done yet. "_What if she is secretly showing the portal to some people quietlly so that we can't stop her_...?"

The idea sent a lightning bolt through everyone's minds. White flashes appeared in the back of their minds as they imagined Terry doing this. It would be something that she could do. She would want to spread the word quietly so that none of them would think to stop her. She may have already shown some people in the short time frame that she had it. She may have built up an alliance. This may have been transformed into a much bigger thing than they thought.

The very idea of it shook their foundation, and made them come to grips with reality. The situation was far more dire than they had thought.

Then something else came to Snap's mind. Something that he didn't think any of them had yet to consider. Something that would bring to light what could have happened.

"_What if Terry has Blocky_...?"

A sharp intake of air from his friends perfectly fit the mood. Penny's face had paled up a little as the horror gripped her mind. Rapsheeba bit her lip, putting her hand against her chest. They couldn't help but exchange worried looks with one another, the tension and nervousness growing thick in the air.

What if Terry did take Blocky? What if that was where he went? What if he was in her clutches, being used by her? It was a possibility they thought impossible at first. But that was before they realized that she had a portal...

"But...but how...when would she have...?" Rapsheeba stammered, looking left and right. "Blocky was with us for a while and..."

"She may have gotten him after she took the portal..." Penny's voice was soft. Her eyes were wide in realization. "After we all went home...she could have gotten him then. Maybe he was lost, and she took advantage of that..."

Snap gritted his teeth at this. "I wouldn't expect less from her, that creepazoid..." He clutched his rounded hand in a fist. It would be just like Terry to take advantage of someone like that to suit her own goals. "If I saw her..."

"Please relax, Snap. This will not do us any good." Rapsheeba's voice cut him out of his thoughts. "We need to focus on how we are going to help our friend. If he was captured by Terry, that at least makes planning easier."

Penny nodded in agreement. "We just need to head to the same place, and from there, find a way to get Blocky back, and then close the portal. Without that portal, Terry won't be a threat anymore." She furrowed her eyes with worry. "But...there is the thing with her possibly telling others..."

Snap's teeth were clenched at this. Nervously, he suggested, "Maybe no one will believe them?"

"That is possible, yes." Penny narrowed her eyes. "Still...we need to be really careful. First and foremost, we need to find that portal. We will need to round up as many zoners as we can to find it."

"What if Terry moves it again?" Rapsheeba's nervous voice asked. "She might realize something was up, and relocate it." She paused for a moment. "Well, she might do that even if we don't find the portal."

"Well..." Snap narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "We could try to mark the portal. Do something with it that would prevent us from losing track of it..."

"Snap, that's a _great idea_!" Penny cried. She folded her arms against herself. "But..what to mark it with...?"

"Maybe something that we could track via a signal? Like a chip?" Suggested Rapsheeba.

"Yeah, that could work! But something small that Terry wouldn't see it." Snap suggested. "Something that was still strong enough to hold onto the portal. Then, no matter where Terry took it, we would find it." There was just _one_ problem. "I'm not sure what we could use, though."

Penny narrowed her eyes in determination. "I know what we could use..."

sss

"But...but Aunt Tilly..._that's not fair_! You can't keep me..." Rudy yelled at his aunt, anger rising up inside. "You're being _unreasonable_!"

Tilly shook her head. She had a feeling that Rudy would object to this. But she was going to keep firm on what she said. She was not going to back down from this. She had learned enough of that world to make a decision. "I'm sorry, Rudy. But I will not let you risk your life entering that place."

"_I told you it wasn't that bad_!" Rudy wailed, struggling to get free of her grasp.

Tilly raised an eyebrow at this. "That's not what you told me before. Didn't you tell me that there were a few zoners that went after you? That there are some dangerous zoners and creations that appear that could have easily harmed you? You don't call _that dangerous_?"

"Well..yeah, there's that. But, Aunt Tilly...they are few and far between! This place is safe, really! Please..don't keep me locked out... This isn't fair!"

Tilly gave a soft growl. "Life isn't always fair, Rudy. Sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to for the best of yourself and those you care about." She stopped in front of Rudy's door, holding his arm tightly. She didn't like hurting him, but she had to be sure he didn't get away. "I know you think I'm being harsh on you, Rudy. But trust me. Later, you'll be thanking me for this."

"_No! You can't do this_! I need to go back into ChalkZone! I need to speak to Penny!" Rudy frantically pushed against her arm, trying to scramble to get away from her.

Tilly narrowed her eyes at this. "I'm sorry, Rudy. But until your parents come back, and until we get this all straightened out, you will not be able to leave this room until I say so, and only under my supervision. I'll work something out with your teacher and principal. And you will _not_ be allowed to see Penny."

That last comment seemed to send a knife through Rudy's heart. "What? _No_!"

"I'm sorry, Rudy."

With that, Tilly threw Rudy into the room. She watched as he tripped up and fell into the ground. She felt a pang of guilt at this. She didn't mean to use that much force on him. Yet her eyes remained narrowed, wanting to show Rudy just how serious she was.

Rudy got up to his feet and ran towards the door. Tilly shut the door before he could get out. She swiftly locked the door. This was something that was never done before. Something that she would never have dreamed of doing. There was a first time for everything. She put the key in her pocket, turned, and began to walk away.

She winced as she heard the pounding on the door behind her. She could hear her nephew's muffled cries to let him out. She paused only for a moment, guilt washing through her. Was she doing the right thing...?

Of course she was. She was keeping Rudy safe. She needed to make sure he didn't get hurt. She would do anything to ensure of that. Even if it meant locking him up like this. He was just a little boy. He didn't fully understand the dangers that he was in. She was just ensuring his safety. He might be angry now, but somewhere down the line, he would thank her. He just needed some time.

Tilly pulled out her cellphone and looked at the calender. Her sister, along with Joe, would not be back for another few days. She would call them and inform them of what was going on. But she did not want to ruin their vacation. She would wait until they got back. She just hoped she could break this news as gently as she could to them.

She did not want to make things worse than they already were.


	14. Pains

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 14: Pains

_**And so the flesh began to cry out, pleading with the machine: Please stop, I am at my limits!**_

sss

"_Ahhhh! Stop this! Please, stop it_!" Blocky wailed loudly, his voice becoming high pitched as he pleaded with them. "_Ouch! Stop! Please_!"

But Terry and Von did not stop. They had no intention to stop. They merely just watched the zoner as the machine began to make quick work of him. The zoner desperately tried to get away, jerking himself from side to side, tears flowing down his face. He let out loud cries and sobs, the pain supposedly getting unbearable now.

He was hooked up to a stretching machine. Well that wasn't what its original purpose was, but it could be used in this way. Von normally used this for other, less painful experiments. He had never used it on a living thing before. And to his surprise, it was working quite well. The zoner hadn't slipped out of the cuffs, and it was able to stretch him however far he wanted to. This experiment shouldn't take too long. He was certain to be pleased with the results.

Looking behind him, he could see Terry standing there, watching the process taking place. She looked somewhat disturbed, but that was probably due to the screams the zoner was emitting. Admittingly, it was starting to grate him a little, and he temporarily thought about perhaps muzzling him somehow. But that seemed like a little too much work. He could handle this anyway. It wasn't that bad.

"_Why are you doing this_?" Blocky's voice cut through the air, catching his attention. "_Why are you hurting me?! Why_?!"

Von gave a small smile at this. "It would be easier if you underztood zcienze, my little...creature. Progrezz is very important to my zpeciez. I don't know much about yourz, but I'm going to azzume that you don't have anything like thiz going on. Now do you?"

Blocky shook his head. "I-I..._no_!" He let out whimpers as the machine continued to stretch his body taut. He jerked his head from side to side. "Stop! Just turn this thing off! Please!"

"Oh no...I need to know how zturdy your body iz, Blocky. I need a figure to jot down in my notez. I need to underztand you better." Von took a few steps forward. He looked at the zoner up and down. He watched as his face started to shift to red, blood rushing to his face. "I intend on finding out az much about your body and itz functionz and limitz az I can, zoner. By zee end of thiz..." He listened to the grunting and straining of the zoner. "...I'll know you _better_ than you know yourzelf."

"_No_!" Blocky's voice echoed, but he was ignored.

Von looked down at the remote that he was using for the machine. He grabbed onto the knob and he began to twist it a little. This caused the machine to begin stretching Blocky's body even further. The zoner let out a yelp of pain as the machine suddenly increased its efforts, yanking his arms and legs apart, out to the sides and away from his body.

Von watched, the corner of his mouth giving a slight tick. As he continued to have the zoner's body stretched, he noticed how it appears to react like a real body. Despite being flat, his body wasn't all that fragile like he thought before. No tearing of his body like a real piece of paper. Just his body resisting to the pressures of being stretched, and he thought he heard the sound of a pop as the spine of the creature was being stretched further.

There was a bit of blood beginning to drip down the zoner's side. Despite having him bandaged due to the water-induced wound, it would seem that the bleeding hadn't stopped. Either that, or the stretching was reopening the wound. Whatever the case, it didn't matter to him. Von may have been startled by the initial wound, but he had recovered, and he knew what to do in case it started to go too far. Blocky was in no danger of dying from this.

Terry herself had also appeared to calm down. There wasn't much of an expression of fear on her, or discomfort. She didn't appear to like this experiment all that much, but it was just from Blocky's screams rather than any concern for the chalk creature itself.

Von wondered just how far he should take these experiments. He wondered how many he should perform on the creature. Funny how things seemed easier when there were limitations. With an animal and definitely a human, there would still be a limit of how far this could actually be allowed to go. But a zoner... _Not a human and not an animal_... Where was the ethical limitations in this? There was no restraint here, and he was uncertain of how far he would actually take this.

No matter. He would figure something out. At the very least, he could hold back just to ensure that he won't die. Even though they had a portal, Terry did not want to use it yet, although she didn't explain her full plans. Blocky would be the only zoner they'd have, and capturing another one would be a pain.

Food and water was going to be important. This thought made Von freeze for a moment. He could hear a confused utterance from Terry, but he paid her no mind. His thoughts went to Blocky and the realization that he probably needed to eat and drink. He deduced he wouldn't be able to do it here. Not like this thing can eat food, and water, forget about it. He didn't want him dying, especially not in a gruesome way like _that_.

He glanced momentarily at Terry. His expression gave away the fact that he wanted to speak to her. She tilted her head slightly and waited for him to speak. He merely frowned slightly and looked away. He would talk to her later. They still had time to solve the food and water crisis. For now, it was time to continue with the experiment.

He looked at Blocky, seeing how his body was being stretched beyond its limits. The zoner kept screaming, his voice echoing off the walls, ringing in his ears. He flinched, feeling an ache in his ear drums. He pushed a finger inside, trying to subdue the ache that was spreading in his internal canal. He looked back at Blocky, noting just how far he was being stretched. He almost looked like a piece of taffy. It was incredible just how much endurance his body had. He had never seen a living creature like this before. He wondered if the chalk properties were enabling this somehow.

Judging from the zoner's face, he had a limit. Von wondered just how far he could take this before the zoner's body would rip in half. Perhaps now was the time to figure that out. Gripping the dial again, he twisted it another down. And he immediately froze, making him wish that he had gone with trying to muzzle the zoner.

A loud scream eminated from Blocky's mouth. Louder, more higher pitched than before. His eyes were bulging, tears streaming down his face. There was a slight rip sound, and his side began to bleed, his bandages getting too soaked to continue absorbing the blood. The zoner didn't even try to struggle anymore; the sudden pain made him freeze, sobs wracking through his trembling body.

Then, without warning, Von heard something akin to a crack. His eyes widened in shock at this. He turned over at Terry to see if she heard it. Not only did she hear it, but she was frantically gesturing over to Blocky, glaring at him with an expression of anger and horror.

"_Stop it_! Get him out of there!" Cried Terry. "You're pulling his body too far! Get him out before he _rips completely_!"

Von started to push the dial back. As he cranked it backwards, the machine began to push Blocky back to his original position. Slowly, the tension from the zoner's body was alleviated, and the look of pain on his face diminished a little.

The scientist and newsreporter approached the zoner cautiously, their eyes wide from the damage the machine had caused. There was some bruising on him, and his wound had seen better days. There was some extra tearing in it, causing more bloodflow. The sight of it was just horrible, prompting Von to bite his lip. If he didn't try to be more careful, they were going to lose their test subject.

"How are you feeling?" Terry's voice was cold and professional, despite her slightly shaken appearance.

Blocky didn't answer. He simply laid there, panting heavily from the immense pain he was in. His pain-filled eyes remained looking up towards the ceiling. He didn't appear to realize that they were even there.

"Well? Aren't you going to zay _zomething_?" Von said. He placed a finger against the side of the zoner's head. He pushed on it firmly. "_Hello_? We're talking to you! Why aren't you..."

Without warning, the zoner suddenly passed out. His eyes shut and his head, or whatever, appeared to loll to the side. The zoner's body stopped shaking completely, and he appeared to become lost from this world.

Von felt a small bit of panic when he saw the zoner get knocked out like that. He wondered if he had done a lot more damage to him than he thought. Perhaps he had accidentally broke something inside of him that caused some internal bleeding. If that were the case, he was going to give himself a scolding. This was not what he wanted, nor the reaction he had hoped for.

He could see Terry glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. He did his best to lock her out. He was in no mood to hear her rants about how he should have been more careful, that he should have listened to her. He was well aware that he may have goofed up. He did _not_ need to be reminded of his blunder. Well, there was nothing he could do to change what happened, so he might as well look the zoner over to make sure he didn't cause too much damage to him.

He went around Blocky's side and looked at the gash that he had given him via water. He flinched as he saw the bits exposed, the bandage having been ripped. The blood dripped constantly, landing on the ground in a small pool. He reached out with his hand and placed it against the wound. There was a slight shudder, and he realized that Blocky must be aware of the pain even while unconscious. He felt a fleeting bout of sympathy for him, but only a tiny bit.

After a quick examination, he was able to determine that the wound did not get too much worse. He just needed a bit of rest. He decided to take Terry's advice and give the zoner something of a break from the experiments. If he could just figure out place to put him in the meantime...

"I'm going to make myself useful and grab more bandages." Terry said. She glanced at Blocky with a sideways stare. "I doubt he will last too long bleeding like that."

Von nodded. "Zat's what I waz going to azk of you."

"Hmph." Terry folded her arms against her chest. "I hope you will be more careful next time. You almost cost us our little hostage."

"You mean... oh nevermind. Yeah, I understand." Von made a quick motion with his hand. "Now hurry up. I can't do anything for his wound if you just stand there and do nothing to help."

Terry gave a quick snarl at this, but did not remain. She quickly turned and began to walk away. Von could hear her footsteps quite clearly. He winced at how forceful they were, and in the distance, he could hear a door slam as she entered another hallway. He shook his head. He didn't let Terry's attitude get in the way of what was important right now. He looked back down at Blocky, biting his lip.

He hoped that Blocky was going to be okay. He still needed him. There was still more things about him he wanted to know. While yes, he could learn some things while he was dead, he would rather him be alive. And besides, Blocky still had another usage.

They needed a way to subdue Rudy and Penny. No doubt, they were going to try to find their friend. They were going to be quite a pain in their side, if anything Terry told him turned out to be true. The woman hadn't exactly lied to him yet, so he was going to assume she was being truthful here as well.

Von didn't want to use him as bait _just yet_. He wanted to do some _more_ experiments on him first. He wanted to understand this strange, unknown creature. His scientific urges were prompting him to figure this thing out. Nothing he had seen before was quite like this. It was impossible to resist the desire to learn and know and study. He needed to learn this creature's strengths and weaknesses and how he was able to live with a chalk body and how he operates and such. There was good reason for this, and not just for curiosity's sake.

They might need it in the future. If some of these creatures were hostile, then they were going to need to know their achille's heel so they can...tame them and keep them under control. And what better way to control them than to use something that was their weakness? They already had water on the list, but he was certain there were..._more_ things. And he would find out from this guy. Oh yes he _will_...

He reached up and began to unhook Blocky from the machine. One by one the cuffs came off. He began with his arms, and then his legs. He then scooped up the zoner in his arms and he laid down on the ground, crossing his legs. Being very gentle, he began to turn Blocky's body over as he examined him. He carefully ran his hands over him, noting any instance of a bump or bruise as he leaned in closely.

He hoped Terry wouldn't take too long. He needed to stop the bleeding, and then he needed to give him an x-ray. Hopefully they would get a clear image. And hopefully, Blocky wasn't too badly damaged. Otherwise...he wasn't sure how he was going to treat them, and they were going to lose their test subject.

He narrowed his eyes. He would be sure that they didn't lose their little bargaining token.

sss

Terry growled softly as she headed down the hallway, towards the storage room that Von had shown her earlier. It wouldn't take her too long to reach it. Soon, she would have what she came for and she would return to Von.

Her teeth were gnashed together as she replayed the recent events in her head. This was not how she had envisioned things going. She knew that Blocky would have been hurt, but she didn't realize just how much. The fool Von nearly cost them their ticket to keep Rudy and Penny under control. _If he wasn't careful_...

A part of her wondered if she should just continue this solo. She could just take the stuff and leave. It wasn't like Von could do much of anything. He didn't even know where she lived. She couldn't see him doing something as risky as kidnapping her, and he knew that going after a human would increase the odds of him getting in trouble. Despite her reputation, her name was still pretty well known, and if she went missing, it would be all over the news.

She decided against it. Von did seem regretful for his mistake. Like her, he may have not been so opposed to the idea of him dying at first, but now that their plan was more solidified, he had no desire to do something like that. At least for now.

Terry still needed to figure out a way to contact the children. Blocky was useless as a bargaining tool if they didn't know he was kidnapped. She knew they were pretty smart, however, and they may have already figured this stuff out. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be certain. Perhaps an encrypted message might work. Or a phone call...no that would not do at all. Wasn't there something she had in mind before? If so, she completely forgot about it, much to her frustration.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a flashing red light up ahead. A locked hallway. She curled her lip up. _Typical Von_. He always seemed to have this hallway locked these past few days. She never understood why. Was he that paranoid that Blocky would leave so easily that he... Oh forget it. It wasn't worth getting worked up over. A part of her wondered if working with Vinnie Raton would be a much easier task. She made a mental note to herself: if this plan failed, at least consider partnering up with Vinnie.

Terry used the key that Von gave her and unlocked the door. The red flashing light disappeared, much to her relief. She went down the new hallway and made a left turn. This brought her down a long corridor and ultimately led her towards a left door marked Storage. Why he had it all the way over here, she will never understand.

She opened it up and rummaged through. Her eyes scanned it up and down as she tried to figure out what to bring. What would be best suited in treating that little creature?

There wasn't too much she thought she could bring. More bandages, yes. She had already planned on that. She had hoped she could bring something else to ensure the zoner's well being. But nothing here would do the trick. Outside the bandages, all the medicine in here would hurt him, and do nothing to help his wound or possible internal injuries. She gritted her teeth. Perhaps they should have thought this plan through better, and got a zoner captive after they had gotten some items from that chalk world.

Nothing could be done about that right now. So instead, she focused on grabbing as much of the bandages as she could. Knowing Von, he might do something else to screw things up. She might as well be prepared so he doesn't end up _killing_ the zoner by mistake.

Stuffing the wads of bandages in her pocket, she turned and began to head back to where Von was. She hoped that he was able to stop the bleeding and wasn't trying to do anything else to mess things up. She didn't exactly trust him to be alone for too long.

As she walked, her mind was moving different thoughts through her as she thought about this plan. So far, things were going better than when she had kidnapped Snap. Yes, so far, _so good_. No wiggie chewing on her hair. No public humiliation. No being tricked by a bunch of kids. Yes, this was already turning out so much better. Now if they could only keep this up, then she will succeed in having her revenge.

Oh, and Dr. Von Doktor would as well, of course.

sss

Rudy pounded on the door again and again. His fist was starting to become sore, but he didn't care. He just kept at it, shouting for his aunt, ignoring how dry his throat was becoming. Tears had stained his reddened cheeks, stinging them. He didn't know how long he had kept this up, and still he went on.

Soon, the sobs that wracked through his body, and the shouting he was doing and the fist he was pounding exerted more and more of his strength. His body became overwhelmed with tiredness and he felt his feet slipping underneath him. He got down onto his knees, closing his eyes, blackening out his blurred vision. Tears dripped from his face and he wiped them off with a trembling arm.

How could this be happening? Why did things have to turn out this way? Why couldn't things have happened differently? There were other routes this could have taken. Why couldn't it have gone down a simpler, easier path? Why must he be forced down this winding road of hardships?

He had lost one of his friends. He had no idea where Blocky was. Terry, of all people, had a portal into ChalkZone. He was cut off from Penny, unable to speak with her.

_And it was all because of Aunt Tilly_.

His blood heated up as he thought about his aunt. He never felt this overwhelmingly enraged with any family member before. He clenched his teeth tightly, so much that he thought they were going to crack out of his jaws. He could feel his body shaking, not just from the sorrow that gripped up, but the growing bitterness and anger inside. He was trying so hard to not hate his aunt, but given the circumstances...he just couldn't help it. For the time being, he _hated_ Aunt Tilly.

It was her fault this was happening. She was the one who sold his chalkboard without telling him beforehand. She was the reason that Terry was now in possession of a portal. She was the reason that ChalkZone was in grave danger. And she had the gall to keep him locked up in here, unable to do anything to fix the problem she had caused.

Aunt Tilly said she wanted to understand, and she had promised to listen to him. But after seeing this...he had his doubts that was a sincere promise. She probably said it just to get him to stop being angry with her. She simply didn't want to continue that particular conflict, although she did start another. She had listened to him about the zoners, but she still would not permit him to go back into ChalkZone, and had even taken away his portable chalkboard to prevent entry. And worst of all..._she was going to tell his parents_...

Rudy felt his heart twist at this. His parents...they couldn't know about ChalkZone. It was bad enough his aunt knew. What would his parents do when they find out? With a cold chill, he remembered how Aunt Tilly reacted. He still felt a pang of fear at the memory. If she reacted like that, he could only imagine how terrified and angered his folks were going to be once Aunt Tilly spills the beans on that place.

He had no idea how his parents were going to react exactly, or what they would do. He knew they were going to be furious with him at least, but what they'd do after... Rudy shivered as thoughts of his parents forbidding him from entering ChalkZone ever again entered his mind. This was a best case scenario if they decide to take action against this. Worst case scenario, and sadly just as likely, they expose it.

He...he _couldn't_ let that happen. He needed to get out of here and tell Penny so they can discuss a way out of this. He needed to get into ChalkZone and help his friends. He couldn't let Aunt Tilly keep him in here like this. She...she had no right. She...didn't understand. She would never understand. She would not listen to him. She had even forbidden him from seeing Penny.

He felt a few tears form in his eyes. He still couldn't believe that his aunt would keep him from seeing his best friend. What makes her think she had the right to do _that_ to him? She might be his aunt, but she couldn't control _every_ aspect of his life.

The boy moved towards the window and looked out of it. He looked in the direction where Penny lived. He bit his lip. If he could only find a way out of here...

He looked around the window, trying to see if there was a hinge he could push on. He had never opened this window before, and he had no idea if there was a way. He had to figure it out, though, and quickly. Maybe if he kept looking around here, he'd find something to help him. He moved as quickly as he could, his fingers fumbling around the edges, looking for something to open the window with. He knew the consequences if he failed. So many lives could be on the line.

sss

_Pain... Horrible pain... Everywhere... So much pain_...

When Blocky first opened up his eyes, that was what he was greeted with. A mass swirl of pain that spread from his side and across his stomach. Up his spine, it went, and nearly made him pass out again. He could barely move without the pain gripping him, sharp and slicing. All he could do was lay there, flat on his back, looking up towards the ceiling.

He was barely aware of just where he was. All he could remember was he was in a scientist's lab. That's it. Was he still strapped down? Was he put away somewhere? Was he dying and just laid here to let it happen? He could hardly tell with the pain jolting through his body, nearly ripping him a new one.

He could hear some voices. Muffled and echoy, but still there. He let out a soft groan, straining to hear what they were saying. He attempted again to move, but he stopped as his body was gripped in agony. He let out a yelp, accompanied by more as sharp pain attacked him, concentrating on his side.

_Oh gawd_...why did his side hurt so badly...? It felt like someone poured _acid_ on him. Even the slightest pressure agonized him, pushing tears out of his eyes in response. What happened to him? Why did that skin feel kind of warm? He wanted to look. He wanted to raise his head and look at his wound. But he could not. _The pain_... It had stolen his strength from him, and his head remained flat on the hard surface of...whatever he had been placed against.

The voices were becoming clearer. They were getting loss drowned out, more understandable. He managed to lift up his head just a little, as much as his body would allow him. He blinked his eyes a few times as his vision slowly began to clear. Shapes... One white and one green.. They were moving back and forth not far from him. The voices were coming from them. He knew they were.

As he stared, he took in a sharp breath as he started to realize who they were. Flashes in the back of his head treated him to memories of his stay here. A scientist's lab..and that was the scientist there.. Dr. Von Doktor... The memory of the name caused ice to shoot through his body. He felt his body freeze in terror, his heart pounding against his chest. His mind no longer paid attention in the person in green. Only the man in white. The scientist. Doctor Von Doktor.

He couldn't help but let out soft, low whimpers as he watched the man before him. His mind went numb, unable to process what he was saying. He had no idea if he was even talking about him, what else he was going to do to him. For the moment, only fear ruled his mind, and he kept replaying what happened over and over again.

The wound on his side... It tingled and ached, sharp jabs spreading through it. This pain..it was caused by this man. This evil, vile man that had kidnapped him, dragged him away from his home and friends. The man that was keeping him locked away here, all alone and trapped and scared. He had experimented on him... He remembered now. This man had performed cruel experimentations on him.

_The water_...

_The stretching machine_...

It all came back to him. As it did, jolts of pain went up his spine, each one reminding him more and more of the agony he had gone through. His body began to shake harder, and tears streamed down his face. He...he could have been _killed_... The man was reckless... He could have caused him to _die_ from that water experiment...and the stretching machine... He could feel his spine nearly snap, and he knew that, even though his vertebrate wasn't broken, it was weakened. He wouldn't be able to do much standing for a while.

The realization of what could have happened...what almost happened... It wouldn't leave him. His mind kept flashing back to those incidents. He couldn't help but imagine the water eating away at his sides, spilling out his blood and organs. He couldn't help but imagine the machine ripping his body in half, his insides becoming his outsides, the squishy sloshiness of his internal organs and blood strewn on the ground. He cried harder at these mental images, but they just wouldn't go away.

The man turned his head and looked over at him. Blocky's eyes widened in horror. He watched as the man began to approach him slowly. The things he hard being said...he was going to do something to him. But what? Blocky's racing mind yelled at him to move, to get away. He tried to keep himself still, terrified of the agony that his body was suffering from.

But the unknown of what might happen to him frightened him _more_.

Blocky began to struggle, tugging at whatever binds that might be holding him. His panic prevented him from knowing for certain if he was held down or not. His struggles didn't even last that long before he was suddenly in the grips of absolute agony.

"_Ahhhhh_!"

He was horrified by that loud scream, even more so that it was from himself. The sharp pain, it tore through him. His side, it felt like it was in fire. He could feel it being torn apart, the blood spotting along the surface, stinging him. His back jolted in agony, and he could practically feel his spine being ripped up.

In desperation, he began to struggle harder. He tossed himself on the ground, screaming again and again as he tried desperately to get away from the pain. He was suddenly unaware of anyone else with him. He thought he could hear shouts, stern and firm and commanding, yet he could not make out the words. The screams reverberated in his head, intermixing with the pounding agony that quaked his body.

Then he felt something grab him. Was it the man? He opened his eyes, but his tears blurred his vision too much. He caught a glimpse of green. Bouffant? Was that her name? He barely had time to register this before he felt something being pressed against him. He could feel his struggles getting weaker.

Suddenly there was a sharp bolt of pain in his side. His body stiffened up and he inhaled deeply. The scent was awfully familiar. He kicked his legs, struggling to escape, the agony creeping along the back of his head, clawing its way through his body. His sobs increased in volume.

Then fate granted him mercy. Seconds later he felt his body go limp. Darkness descended upon him rapidly, all sense of feeling leaving him. He gave a small smile of relief, the pain completely gone. Then he fell silent, his eyes closed.

sss

Terry growled softly as she pulled the cloth away. It was a good thing that they had more of that stuff laying around. The same stuff used to knock out Blocky in the first place. She didn't think she'd be able to settle him down any other way. The stupid zoner was getting too worked up for his own good. And struggling like that? He was just begging for the pain there.

At least for now, the zoner was knocked out and would not be a bother to her or Von. At least he won't be able to hurt himself more. They would just have to keep an extra eye on him to ensure no future incidents like this. If they had some way to kill the pain afterwards...

Terry began to realize there might not be much of an option now. The only way to ensure that Blocky didn't die from the experiments was to get some medication, and it would have to be from ChalkZone. But how would they be able to do that without anyone realizing it was her doing? Just how well known _was_ she in ChalkZone? How _many_ of the zoners did Rudy tell about her?

Perhaps it was time to set up a trap. Perhaps they should consider bringing in a new zoner into the mix. One that they could use to get what they needed to keep Blocky alive. Someone whom they could control, and perhaps prevent from spilling the beans. Someone who could be easily manipulated...

But what were the odds that she'd find such a zoner? The only way was through interactions, and if she chose the wrong zoner... She would have to make this count. She would make things more complicated than they had to be if she wasn't careful.

Turning to Von, she said, "Come on. We need to alter our plans a little."

Von tilted his head to one side. "_Why_?"

Terry glared down at the prone form of Blocky. She watched as the zoner took in shaky breaths, his face still showing some signs of pain despite being knocked out. He was encased in a large, glass prison with some holes for air. The lid had been opened up, allowing her to reach inside with the cloth to knock him out with.

"Because we can't keep this up. Sooner or later, he's going to expire, if not by your stupid experiments, then by lack of food and water." Terry said, disgruntled. She still had a hard time believing the direction all of this had gone. "We need a zoner accomplice."

"I doubt any of zem would willingly work for uz." Doctor Von Doktor pointed out, raising a finger. "Zo I zuppoze you are zuggesting zat we _forze a deal_ out of zem. _Blackmail_."

"Precisely. I'm sure we can think of...something to make them cooperate with us." Terry said, turning her head to look at Von. "We will need to make sure that they don't get any ideas and do something we don't want. But I think it's possible to find a way." She closed the lid, sealing Blocky back inside his containment unite. "Even if it means some less than..._pleasant things_."

Terry didn't want to take this too far. She had to be careful with what threats she chose for this. Even against the zoners, if her threat was too severe, she might get into trouble. She didn't know what the zoners were fully capable of, and some might be downright dangerous. She didn't need to look through the portal, only to meet a very pissed off zoner on the other side. So whatever threat she decided, she would have to keep it confined to just the zoner she chose, a zoner who would be too weak to fight back, and more easily controlled, like Blocky.

Of course, she also couldn't threaten Rudy or Penny. Despite her hatred for them, going after them would be a huge mistake. Jail time didn't suit her very well, and it would completely ruin her plans. She would much rather avoid that.

And it wasn't like she had a lot to worry from Penny anyway. Rudy, she would be more cautious around. He and Snap were the ones who stopped her after all. Penny? She hardly did anything, it seemed. Yeah, all she was to the group was the chick, perhaps doing whatever Rudy told her to do. She might be a bit smarter, but that ultimately didn't mean much if she wasn't much of a contributer.

Yeah, Penny wasn't much of a threat. She shouldn't worry about her. Penny was worthless.

"All right, zen... I will let you take care of zat." Dr. Von Doktor said.

Terry looked over at Von, giving him a soft glare. "Who said _I_ was going to do that?" She pointed at Von. "_You_ were the one who captured Blocky. _You_ can take responsibility of getting the next one, too."

Von shook his head. "Zeze zoners are your department, mizz. You know zem better zan me."

Terry raised up an eyebrow. What was he talking about? She wasn't the one who was performing experiments and writing them down. He must have a bit more knowledge than her when it came to zoner's physiology. Surely he could come up with a good trap for one based on this knowledge, couldn't he? She couldn't see why he could not.

And who was he to order _her_ around, anyway? She had been allowing it to happen off and on, her mind more focused on the plan than anything else. Now it was starting to grate on her. Did the man forget who was really in charge here?

She then realized the man's point. Maybe she was the one better off to do this. Von might screw things up. He might say the wrong thing or be too reckless. He didn't seem to be all that cautious, and that was going to cost them big time if they weren't careful. Her mind flashbacked to how Blocky nearly died as a result of his experiments. She flinched at the uncomfortable memories. Yeah...perhaps she should take this. Knowing Von, he would _accidentally_ kill whatever zoner he was trying to catch.

"Where did you put the chalkboard?"

Von waved to her, gesturing her to follow. "I'll take you zere. I wouldn't want you to get lozt."

Terry growled at this. It angered her a bit that this man thought that she was so _incompetent_ that she would get lost in _this_ facility. She wasn't _blind_ or _stupid_. But she didn't address it beyond a glare. It didn't really matter in the end, anyway. And she needed to keep her energy focused on this.

Without saying a word, not even a retort, she merely nodded her head and she proceeded to follow Doctor Von Doktor. When they reached the door way, she stopped for a moment and looked back at Blocky. She was confident that he was not going to try to get out. Even if he did, his wounds would prevent him from getting too far. She hoped for his sake that he won't be foolish and try getting out of his enclosure.

Well, if it did come to that, then at least the body will be easily disposed of. Just add some water, and his body would disintegrate, like it was nothing more than a pile of ash. Not too much of a mess left after that.

The two adults disappeared out of the room and went down the hallway.

sss

Penny climbed out of the portal. Picking up the eraser, she turned around and got rid of the portal quickly. It was a good thing, too, for she had heard her mother call out to her as soon as she came in. Talk about perfect timing.

"I'm coming!"

Penny wiped off the chalk stains that clung to her fingers. She wiped off any remaining dust off her shirt and pants. She set the eraser down and turned to head towards the door. Although she could not hear her mother coming up the steps, she knew that she could not let her guard down. Her mother could be quite quiet if she really wanted to be, and catch her off guard. This nearly caused ChalkZone's exposure a couple of times in the past. Thankfully, they were _rare_ and _far apart_.

Penny headed down the upper level hallway and towards the stairs that would lead her to her mother, whom she was certain was waiting in either the living room or the kitchen to speak with her. She wondered what she wanted. Perhaps another check up on her to make sure she was okay. Her mother had been pretty spooked by her having stopped breathing for a short time. Not that she could blame her. Penny could feel her heart clench at the mere thought of that happening again.

She hoped that she would be able to get back into ChalkZone soon to speak more with Snap, and hopefully Rudy and fill him in on what has been going on. She felt bad that he was being kept out of the loop. Hopefully, later today after he settles things with his aunt, he would be able to at least meet with her, if not head into ChalkZone, so he can be on the up and up on the plan.

Rapsheeba promised to organize a search party to help find Blocky as well as that portal. Being a well known zoner, she knew a _ton_ of people, and there would be so many that would be willing to follow her orders. Penny was glad that Rapsheeba was willing to take on this responsibility. She knew that it wouldn't be easy trying to lead a search party like this, especially with the _threat of ChalkZone's exposure_ over their heads. Rapsheeba knew how to motivate people, and would be able to keep them calm during the search so that nobody panics and does something stupid or reckless.

Snap promised to help as soon as he was back on his feet again. Despite the doctor wanting him to take it a little easy after he leaves, Snap just couldn't lay down and do nothing. He was willing to give it _all_ he had when it came to searching for the portal and their missing friend. Blocky was like a little brother to him, and he was determined to do whatever it took to find him. Penny couldn't help but smile at the memory of Snap's steadfast desire at locating Blocky.

A pang tugged at her heart as she remembered there was something she needed to talk to Rudy about. It was something that she, Rapsheeba, and Snap hadn't even discussed yet. She had just thought about it when she was returning to her portal. It was related to what they were discussing before, about Terry.

The idea of Terry being more stealthy and just..._waiting and being all calculating_...it was rather _unnerving_. She recalled what Rudy and Snap had told her. That, combined with her own experiences, Penny knew just how cunning this woman could be. She could just be waiting until the right moment to strike. She could be buying her time, waiting for a time when she and Rudy surely couldn't do anything to stop her. She might even already spread the word about ChalkZone, ensuring her vengeance against them even if they did manage to stop her. The thought was quite chilly in her head.

Penny had a disturbing thought on her way back. She wished she had thought about it before. She really wanted someone to confide in, and her mother was not going to be of much help.

_What if Terry was the one who had Blocky_...?

She shuddered at the thought. She didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be possible. But...Blocky's disappearance, along with the portal, in the _same day_, close together... It seemed too much of a coincidence. They might have been _connected_. It didn't seem likely that it was all by chance this happened so close in the time frame.

It was very likely that Terry took the portal and used it to capture Blocky. She could have went in while most zoners were in Night Zone sleeping, and grabbed him. She could be holding him hostage somewhere. Blocky could be enduring torment, fear, pain, whatever Terry decided to dish out at her. He could be laying on the ground, calling for help, hoping that his friends would save him. And here they were, not having even started the search party...

Penny shook her head, suddenly realizing how ridiculous that scenario was starting to look. Terry would have been easily spotted if she had gone into ChalkZone. Humans were quite easy to notice. And Terry did not know ChalkZone all that well. She probably didn't even know about the Day and Night Zones, and wouldn't even know where Blocky's night house was. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that maybe Terry wasn't involved in his kidnapping.

It was still important for her to talk to Rudy about it. He might be able to provide more input, and maybe come up with more possibilities based on that. Hopefully, soon, they will have solved this case and begin the journey to setting things right.

Penny was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to realize she had gotten into the living room already. Only a shout from her mother jolted her enough for her to realize where she was. She turned to her mother and gave a small smile. Her mother merely nodded in return and gestured for her to come over. Penny, confused by her mother's lack of a proper greeting, approached her, confused.

Seeing her mother pat her hand against the edge of the couch, Penny immediately climbed up onto the couch and sat down next to her mother. Penny clasped her hands together and looked over the edge of the couch. She remained like this for a few seconds before she looked over at her mother, wondering what was on her mind. Her mother's expression...was something wrong? She felt her heart twist at the possibilities.

After what felt like a forever lasting awkward silence, Penny decided to break it. "So..mom...what did you want to talk to me about...?"

Her mother stared out in front of her, her eyes unfocused. She closed them softly, letting out a long sigh. She then turned her head and looked down at Penny. Her face was contorted in concern and..sadness? Penny fought the urge to reel back. What had gotten her mother so upset? She hoped that this was related to what happened to her and not something else.

"Penita...I...I don't know how to begin this." Her mother said. Her words were hesitant and slightly shaky. "I wish I could break this to you more gently. I mean...I know this has been going on for a while, and I don't want you to get upset with me."

Penny stared at her mother in confusion. What was she going on about? This wasn't related to what happened with Von. But if that wasn't it, then...what was it? Penny's tense thoughts were sifted through in her mind, doing her best to try to figure this out. Her heart tightened at the possibilities. Maybe something happened to a family member. Or perhaps her mother had planned on moving, or...

"I know you must have your _reasons_."

Penny froze at that statement. Her mind practically turned to ice, the old fluid moving through her veins and arteries. Her previous thoughts of what it could be were instantly shattered, and where concern was, burning horror replaced it. She tried her best to control her breathing, keeping it forcibly calm and slow. Her racing mind tried to make sense of what her mother said. Surely, her mother _couldn't_ have been referring to...

But what else could it be? That was the only thing she had ever been keeping from her mother. That was only thing that she did whatever she could to ensure that her mother never found out.

Then, her mother gave her the horrifying clincher.

"_I know about this chalk world_..."

Penny stared at her mother in terror. She couldn't even try to deny it. The way her mother looked at her, it felt as though her ability to lie in her face had been zapped, replaced only by cold silence and fear. Her mother's eyes were slightly narrowed, practically boring through her own eyes, leaving her frozen there in shock. Penny tried to speak, but no words could come out. She could feel her heart starting to beat faster, the horrific realization washing over her.

_How did this happen_? How did her mom find out? How did this all come about? What made her mother try to figure out what was happening? Or did she find out by accident? Who told her, or did no one? Many questions rushed through her head, giving her a constant ache.

At least, she managed to squeak out, "_H-How_..."

"I got a call from Rudy's aunt earlier today. She had told me what she found out." Her mother explained. Penny's eyes widened. Tilly had told her mom. She couldn't believe it..yet she wasn't surprised. An odd combination. Her mother clarified further, "She wanted me to know about it..since she knew you went into this chalk world as well. She felt it would only be right for me to know where my daughter has been going."

Penny took in a few quick breaths. What was her mother going to do now? She had to say something quickly, and hope that she could convince her mother not to do anything drastic. "Please, mom...It's _not_ what you..."

Her mother cut her off. "I already knew about this place beforehand anyway."

"Y-You..you _what_..?" Penny froze at this. "You did..?" A single nod from her mother. "B-But I thought that..."

"Penny, did you forget about that big speech you did?" Her mother raised an eyebrow. "When you were supposedly so nervous that you kept slipping up your words?"

Penny nodded her had stiffly. "I would never forget that day."

"I saw Rudy push your head into the chalkboard, Penny. _I saw the opening_."

Penny widened her eyes at this. She leaned away from her mother. She couldn't even speak. She didn't know how to respond to that. She and Rudy thought they were alone. Her mother had seen it? And she didn't say anything? _Why_?

"I dismissed it as a trick of my mind. Of course, I did think it was...really strange how you suddenly started to speak normally again. I didn't question it, though. I thought I was just seeing things and I didn't want you to think I was crazy." Her mother gave a small smile at this. "I thought I was just really stressed out, so I dismissed it."

That would explain why her mother never brought it up with her. Penny now began to worry how many times their parents had spotted them going into or from a portal. Had they not been as careful as they thought they were? Had their parents known more than they let on, and just didn't say anything to them?

Penny couldn't help but feel a bit of anger. She wished her mother had told her about this before. She wished she had confronted her. They could have sorted this whole thing out. Now she was left wondering, panicking, over how many people may have saw them.

"That _hadn't_ been the _only_ time."

With wide eyes, Penny looked up at her mom. "I-It wasn't..?"

Her mom shook her head. "No, it wasn't. There was another time after that, and this time, I was certain that what I had seen was real." She clenched her teeth, sucking a quick breath of air through them. "When I took you to that concert, I saw Rudy come out of that chalkboard up on stage...and then disappear right back into it."

"Those were special effects..." Penny said quickly.

Her mom narrowed her eyes. "I _know_ they _weren't_, Penny. I had checked his equipment beforehand, in case you forgot. I know that chalkboard did not have that capability." She paused for a moment. Her expression softened up. "Look, Penita...why don't you tell me what's _really_ going on here? I think it's about time you and I had a nice, long chat about this place."

Penny felt her mind racing. She wanted to look around for an exit. She wanted to get away and pretend all of this was just a bad dream. The fact that her mother knew about ChalkZone, and said not a word... what _else_ did she know? _Did anyone else know_?

Realizing she had no choice, Penny could only lower her head and nod her head numbly. "Okay..." She looked back up at her mom. "I..I hope you're not mad."

Her mother frowned at this. "I am disappointed in you." Penny flinched at this. Her mother softened her glare. "But...like I said, I think you might have a good reason. So..." She stared at Penny expectantly. "Let's chat."

sss

Howdy couldn't believe what had happened lately. First the _tornado_, now _this_.

The news of Blocky's disappearance had already spread like wildfire. He was in utter shock that something like this could have happened to someone like that. He hadn't interacted too much with Blocky himself, but based on what he himself had encountered, Blocky was a really nice zoner. How could someone as nice as that suffer such a terrifying fate?

Howdy had immediately volunteered to help when Rapsheeba talked about organizing a search party to find him. Howdy had dropped all upcoming acts he had planned to help find the lost zoner. He felt bad about having to do that, but right now, he knew finding Blocky was more important.

The poor guy must be lost and _so scared_... Howdy knew what that felt like. He remembered what it was like for him when he was trapped in the Real World. Even if it was brief, it was scary, being chased by that gigantic dog. And then being _licked to death_... He shuddered, his body still crying out from the pain. Even though it had been a long time since then, he could still feel the echoes of agony.

That was why he just had to help find Blocky. He had to find him and make sure he was okay. He understood what it felt like being scared, and he wanted to do what he could to comfort him.

The small puppet zoner wandered around ChalkZone, constantly calling out Blocky's name. He looked around the outskirts of town just in case he had made it there. But no luck. So he ventured out further, going to lesser visited regions. This was not something he normally did as he preferred to stay with someone, especially after his incident with Dumpster. He challenged his fear of being alone for the sake of finding Blocky.

He eventually found himself getting close to the Night Zone. He hadn't been to this particular one before. It looked relatively new. He didn't really see too many zoners in it, at least from where he was standing. It looked to be some kind of jungle, with some small mountains intermixed with it. The mountains were jagged in some places, smooth in others, a _jarring_ transition. The trees themselves looked like a cross between candy canes and...what did Penny call them... weeping willows. The branches, _sharp and uninviting_, hung over in large bunches, creating darkened shades.

Normally, such a place would make Blocky turn away, but something compelled him to stay. He looked at this place up and down, noting the gloomy colors, the jagged places, the cracks in the ground. He wondered..could Blocky have gotten lost in here? It certainly seemed possible. Blocky might be thin, but all these sharp edges...any of them could easily rip him apart. And that place in the center, all those sharp edges, so dark...maybe he was trapped in there.

The small zoner took in a deep breath and, mustering as much strength as he could, wandered into the Night Zone.

He shuddered as his feet touched the ground. Sloshy, and there was a slight _hissing_ sound as he lifted up his foot. He felt cold shivers move through his body as he wandered in deeper. He looked left and right, unable to stop himself from whimpering when he saw the jagged shapes all around him, some of them even seeming to form large faces, glaring at him, taunting him.

Despite that, he still kept going. He knew he had to do this. If he didn't do it, then who would? He was a small zoner and the best one suited for going through these tight, sharp places. And that's what he continued to do, putting his hands together and calling out Blocky's name.

But no matter how long he searched, no matter how far he traveled in, he still saw no sign of Blocky. He began to wonder if he really wasn't in here. Or maybe he was, but he had been hurt. Maybe he was unconscious and bleeding to death. This horrific thought caused his own blood to cool, prompting him to quicken his search.

Eventually, his throat got so sore that he just had to stop. He laid himself against one of the trees. He ignored how hard and cold it felt as he rested himself there. He took in slow breaths, trying not to panic. Maybe Blocky wasn't hurt. Maybe he was just tired and had fallen asleep in here. Maybe he was exhausted from his attempts to get out, or maybe he wasn't even here.

Howdy closed his eyes and attempted to relax. Maybe after a quick rest, he could resume the search and he would find Blocky, safe and sound. Yeah, everything was going to be okay.

If only he had seen the pair of eyes watching him... If only he had seen the hand reaching out for him...

By the time he realized anything, it was _too late_.

A cloth on his face.

An arm around his body.

A smell.

He struggled, but it was only briefly. Darkness gripped him, and he fell silent.


	15. Findings

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 15: Findings

_**Pieces always fall together. What matters is if they fall in time.**_

sss

_Come on_...

_Almost there_...

Rudy pulled as hard as he could. His fingers gripped the bottom of the window, his fingernails pressing against it. He gritted his teeth, mustering up as much strength as he could to try to lift the window.

Just a little more... Just a bit more strength... Coming closer...

This had to work. It just _has_ to. He didn't have a lot of time with this. He had a feeling his aunt was going to come up any second. He _had_ to be out of here before she came. He just needed a bit more time to get this open. Then he could make his get away. He could get to Penny's place and tell her what had happened.

Soon, he could feel the window opening. It wasn't by much, but it was still something. He let go of the window for a few seconds, letting his arms rest at his sides as he took in a few quick breaths. He stared at the door, a look of triumph on his face. He had been working at this for what felt like an hour, and to finally move it... He couldn't describe the feeling of victory rising up inside of him.

He gripped the window again and pulled on it more. With part of the window now open, the rest seemed to follow suit. Gradually, the window began to open even further. With a loud creak, the window slid upwards, gaining speed the longer he pulled. With a strained grunt, Rudy managed to open the window all the way, hearing it thud as it hit the ceiling above him. He immediately let go and fell on his knees, panting.

His arms...they felt almost like they were on fire. He could feel the muscles ache, practically burning from the unwanted exercise. He stared towards the result of his success: an opening that he could now fit through. He licked his dry lips and began to ponder his next move.

Looking outside, it didn't seem like jumping out was a good idea. He was pretty high above the ground. He wasn't too keen on getting a shatttered ankle. He wouldn't be able to do much then, and it may prompt his aunt into more extreme actions against him. He gritted his teeth, wishing that his aunt could have made things easier for him. But he had no time to waste on that now. He had to get out of here and speak to Penny.

Remaining at the edge, he looked around, wondering how he was going to get down from here. He couldn't just... _or could he_? He had seen it in the _movies_, but would it work _here_? He looked behind him, staring at his bed. After a moment, he shook his head. They were too thick to work. There would be no way he could tie his bed sheets into knots like that, and even if he did, they wouldn't be long enough to be anchored to anything to be of use. He needed another way down.

He then noticed the door below him. He remembered the door leading into his house had a ridge on it. A small protrusion that formed a sharp arch. He wondered... could he use this to get down? A risk, but he felt it was worth taking it.

He began to ease himself out of the window. He reached down cautiously with one foot. He placed it carefully on the slope knowing that one slip up was all it was going to take to get himself badly hurt. Once he had secured one foot, he began to bring out his other one, using one hand to grip the protrusion while the other held onto the window sill. Once he had both his feet out, he began to gently slide backwards, preventing gravity from having a nasty toll on him. Rudy did his best to ignore the friction pain of having the hard surface rub up against his stomach, or the stiff ridge edge pressing against his stomach.

Soon he was dangling on the side of his window, his hands still gripping the edge of the protrusion. He was still a bit of a distance above the ground, his feet swinging back and forth, but it was doable. Taking in a deep breath, he let go, allowing himself to fall. He let out a grunt as his feet landed on the ground, his knees bending at the whim of force and gravity.

Rudy soon straightened himself up and looked up at the window. He felt a sense of pride of being able to get out of there without having to break down his own door, which he knew likely wasn't going to happen. With him now outside, he can make his getaway and head to Penny's house. He hoped he would be able to reach her before Aunt Tilly would stop him.

He felt a fleeting pang of fear when he remembered that he didn't shut the door. But perhaps that would have been for the best; she would probably think he found another way into ChalkZone, and opt to guard him herself so he couldn't get in.

He didn't stay for long. He gave one last look at the window before he turned in the direction he knew Penny's house was in. Without looking back again, he sprinted away, running as fast as he could.

sss

Tilly let out a soft sigh as she sat in the living room. Sophie was laying down next to her, sleeping. She could hear the little girl's snoring despite that it wasn't her bedtime yet, nor a nap time. She smiled down at her sleeping daughter, stroking her blonde hair a few times. The smile could not remain on her face for long as her thoughts shifted to her nephew.

She wondered how Rudy was doing. Perhaps he was laying down resting right now. Or perhaps working on a latest art project. Looking out the window like a _caged animal_...

She shook her head. No, no, _no_... She shouldn't think like _that_. She was doing Rudy a favor. She was just doing whatever she could to keep him safe. He had no idea the kind of trouble he could have gotten himself into with that world. He should be thankful that she found out when she did, and was taking the appropriate steps to deal with it. She had even alerted Mrs. Sanchez about what was going on. After all, as her mother, she had the right to know, right?

Still, she couldn't help but feel a sense of..guilt over what she had done. She had shoved Rudy into his room and locked him in there. She had imposed the ultimate grounding, where he wasn't allowed to even use the bathroom without her permission and without her being present. He must feel so trapped right now, unable to even sneeze without her being present. She wondered if she was going a bit too far with all of this.

No, she wasn't. Rudy was the one who went too far, she reminded herself. He had been parading around this world, treating these creatures as if they were human, being their 'guardian' or whatever he had called himself, and hadn't told anyone about it. The world was filled with hidden dangers, both familiar and the strange and bizarre. Rudy really could have gotten _hurt_ in that world if he wasn't careful, and judging from what he had told her, she wouldn't be surprised if there were already several close calls. And the fact that her _own daughter_ had been in this world...

She did her best not to let her old anger rise up. She took in a deep breath and sighed softly. She had taken care of it already. There was nothing to fear. Soon, everything would be straightened out, and that world would be properly dealt with.

Exactly what she would end up doing, she wasn't sure. The first thing that came to her mind after she locked Rudy up was genocide. Complete destruction of that world. She then realized how _crazy_ that seemed. She had no idea how large this place was, and if the human race were to declare such a thing... Wouldn't that provoke the natives to fight back...? A full blown _war_ with unknown entities was _not_ something she would want brought onto the world.

Since attacking the world was not an option, the only thing she could personally think of was locking the children out. Since chalkboards were the source of entry, perhaps the easiest solution was to cut off all their access to them. Remove them from their houses and perhaps force them to be home schooled, away from the chalkboards at their elementary school. She knew this was not a decision Rudy was going to enjoy, but regardless if he liked it or not, it would be for his own good.

Rudy was only _ten years old_. He didn't fully understand such dangers. To him, everything was probably fun and whimsical. Well...that might be a bit of a stretch. She didn't want to imply that her nephew was stupid which she knew he wasn't. But at the same time, she knew he was too young to fully comprehend some things, and he may not be fully realizing just how dangerous this chalk world could be.

She knew that, while Rudy was angry right now, he would come to understand her in time, perhaps even thank her for protecting him. She was only doing what she knew was right in order to keep him safe. She trusted that Mrs. Sanchez would have similar luck with her daughter. Perhaps even more so; Penny did seem like a reasonable kind of person and might come to understand their point of view much quicker. Then, after she informed her sister and Joe about this, they could talk more about what they were going to do with it.

She would call her sister, but she didn't want to ruin her vacation with her husband. Plus, this was something much easier discussed in person. At least there wasn't too long left to wait. Just about two days left, and that was it.

Tilly hoped that this whole thing would blow over soon. She hoped that they could return back to the way they were after all of this had been properly dealt with. She didn't like being Rudy's enemy. She didn't like doing this to him. She hated having to put him under such an extreme lock down. But how else was she supposed to keep him safe? How else was she to ensure that this..this chalk world wasn't going to hurt him? Rudy insisted that everything was fine, but her more seasoned mind told her otherwise.

What really got her wound up was the fact that he was risking his life going into this place just to help these..chalk creatures. These zoners... _Why_? Couldn't they take care of themselves? Why should Rudy bother caring about them or helping them? They weren't even _truly_ alive... They were just drawings come to life, and Rudy was projecting humanity onto them. He was taking this make believe _too far_.

And despite not being fully alive, they were still dangerous. From what Rudy told her, a number of zoners could be malicious and lethal. He had even admitted that a few zoners had a grudge against him, which helped further solidify her decision to isolate him from that place.

Rudy needed to learn a harsh lesson. Just because something seems alive and seems sentient like a human doesn't make it so. She could name a few incidents where this was the case. ...okay perhaps not. This was brand new to her. It was a new lesson that she herself had just learned. And she would make sure that Rudy learned it as well. The zoners weren't his friends. They were just using him for whatever they want, and were acting on pure instinct. Rudy thinks of himself as their hero, but the reality was he was more likely just a pawn they were using for entertainment or something.

Perhaps she was being irrational about this. But she would rather be irrational than to take a chance with the zoners and risk losing Rudy or Sophie to them. She would rather be safe than sorry.

She turned her head and looked towards the steps. She again found herself wondering how Rudy was doing. Being locked up in his room certainly wasn't fun, she imagined. She wondered if he had tried to get out of his room. Perhaps...but it would have been futile as, even if he did succeed in unlocking the door, she would hear it and stop him.

The boy, if he wasn't trying to cheer himself up through art, was likely sitting on the ground or the window sill, groaning about how '_unfair_' and '_uncooperative_' she was being, despite the fact that he was the one who had been keeping this world a secret for _two years_ and was resisting her attempts at trying to make him see reason. He would see things her way in time. He just needed a bit of time to cooldown, that was all.

She thought about going upstairs to check on him, but soon decided against it. Rudy could use a bit more time to himself to think about what he's done. Perhaps, after a bit of time has passed, he'd be more willing to speak to her and try to work things out.

She looked back at the television, which was shut off at the moment. She might as well put the TV back on and find something to watch. She lifted up the remote, pressed the power button, and began to skim the channels. Sophie stirred a little in her sleep, but soon began relaxed again, resuming her peaceful slumber.

Tilly hoped that things won't be so difficult for Mrs. Sanchez. She was certain she was speaking to Penny right now. She wished them the best of luck.

sss

Penny remained silent as she remained where she was, sitting down next to her mother on the couch. She had just finished talking with her mother about ChalkZone. She had told her mom what she wanted to know. She only told her just enough to help her understand, although on occassion, her mother pressed her on, getting her to tell more things than she had intended. Now that this part was over, all that was left was the aftermath. All Penny could do now was wait and see what her mother's decision was.

She felt scared. She had no idea what her mother was going to decide after this. There were several options available to her, and most of them were...less than pleasant, to say the last. She could only hope that her mother comes to understand her point of view, and doesn't do anything too drastic.

Her mother's decision wasn't the only thing that had her scared. There was also the fact that other people may have noticed something regarding ChalkZone, like her mother had, and was just keeping it a secret. Her mother didn't elaborate further on that, and Penny couldn't tell if her mom just didn't know or if she was deliberately witholding information. That didn't seem like something she'd do, but then she remembered how her mom had hidden the fact that she had seen a portal twice from her...

She was able to keep herself from hyperventilating, but just barely. Her mind was racing, no matter how hard she tried to keep it calm. She couldn't help but continuously ask herself many questions. Like... what were she and Rudy going to do if _more_ people knew about ChalkZone? How would they keep them out? What would happen if these people teamed up to force the information out of them?

What if their _own family_ aided them in this endeavor?

She shook her head. She had to try to stay more positive than that. She was certain that, if she just gave her mom a chance, she would listen. She was her mother, after all. Surely, she would listen to reason. Rudy's aunt and parents...they would eventually listen, right?

"So...this world really means _that_ much to you?" Her mother's voice cut through the silence. Penny looked up at her mother and nodded her head. "I see.." Her mother turned her gaze towards the ground. "This is going to be a difficult decision for me to make..."

"Please, mom..." Penny said in a soft voice. "You have to..."

"I know how you must feel, Penny. I would probably feel the same way, too, if I were in your shoes. This world might not be too bad... Maybe you are right and it's safe." Her mom closed her eyes. "However, I _cannot_ overlook the fact that this world, as you described, does have its _dangers_. And the fact you kept it a secret from me for months... I still find it hard to believe that you wouldn't trust _your own mother_."

"It wasn't about trust..." Penny tried to explain.

"As you have told me already. I still don't quite understand." Her mother let out a soft sigh, interlocking her fingers together. "Penita... whatever decision I make, I hope that you know that I only made it out of love. I don't want to _lose_ you." She looked down at her daughter, her eyes filled with compassion and concern. "I don't want to see you get hurt..." She wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Penny hesitated, then hugged her mother back. "I know, mom..." She whispered softly. "I just...hope that you listened to what I had to say. I hope you know just how much I care about that place. I..I don't want to be separated from my friends there, mom. Please...I..."

Her mother let her go and placed her hands on her shoulders. The two of them stared into each other's eyes before Penny lowered her gaze. She soon felt a hand on her chin and, gently, her head was tilted upwards and she found herself looking into her mother's eyes once more, noting the small smile on her face.

"I will...need some time to think about this. But I promise you, Penny, I will take every word you told me into consideration." She gently stroked her cheek. "I'm sure that, whatever decision I make, you will agree that it was the right one. ...even _if_ you don't agree with me right away."

Penny's eyes widened at this implication. "_Mom_...!"

"You can go up into your room and wait for me. I won't be too long." Her mom said. She paused for a moment. "And dear, please do not go into this... ChalkZone as you call it. Not until I make up my mind. Do you understand me?"

"I..." Penny hung her head. "I understand..."

"Good girl." Her mother said with a small, saddened smile on her face. "Now head up into your room. I will be up there in about an hour. I promise you that, by then, I'll have made up my mind."

sss

Howdy shivered in fright, having no idea where he was. He had woken up a few minutes ago, and though his senses had cleared up, he was unable to recognize his surroundings. Looking left and right, nothing seemed familiar to him. All he could see were a bunch of grey walls, a couple of shelves, and a single light over his head.

He was strapped in a chair, his hands bound against the arms of it. He attempted to get himself free, but immediately winced when he realized that there was something sharp underneath the bands. In horror, he realized that if he struggled too much, his arms would get sliced up. Shivering in fear, he realized quickly that he was _trapped_.

What happened? How did he get here? The last he remembered, he was looking in that forest... The name at the moment slipped his mind, but he recalled it was one of the newer ones. Then..._nothing_. His mind continuously drew a blank. He bit his lip, his eyes shifting from side to side. He wished he could remember what happened. The fact that he didn't... It weighed down heavily on him. There...just had to be a reason why he couldn't remember. But all the possibilities only led him to become even more worried.

A chill went up his spine. What if he had been captured by one of Rudy's enemies? Skrawl wouldn't be above using hostages, he didn't think. From what Rudy had told him, Skrawl would do whatever it took to seize power and control. If he were so inclined, he would capture someone to try to force Rudy into submission. Had this been what happened? Was he just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

No, something didn't add up with that. This didn't look like Skrawl's place. These books... They seemed...too scientific for him. Not that he'd know what that means. Just that...some of the words seemed too big, and... Howdy wasn't suer what it was, but something about this place seemed..._off_.

It didn't take him long before he was about to recieve his answer.

Suddenly, the room became more well lit. Not from any light in the room itself, but from a floating light source in front of him. The zoner had to shut his eyes and turn his head to allow himself time to adjust to the sudden brightness. He was not able to see why the light was floating at first. Only when his eyes adjusted did he look over and was able to see for himself what had happened.

There was a tall shadow before him, almost obscured in blackness. The light was held out in front of the figure, glowing brightly, casting them in the darkness. The figure slouched slightly, and the round head suggested either really smooth hair or they were bald.

The figure approached swiftly, and Blocky thought they could see a quick flash where the eyes were. The figure appeared to be wearing glasses. He thought he could see part of their face and a smile. And not a pleasant one. Before he could say anything, the lantern was placed right in front of him, allowing him to feel the heat of the light. Blocky gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, turning his head to the side.

"You were pretty eazy to capture, I muzt zay..."

Blocky winced at this. He didn't recognize the voice, but he already could tell this person was not friendly. The voice was..._cold_, icy professionalism. Not truly devoid of emotion, but any he could detect only made him feel more afraid.

The figure began to walk around him. The lantern was moved around, along his side. The zoner could feel the warmth creeping along, going from one side to the other. He kept his eyes shut, save for a small sliver where he looked around, trying to keep track of where the person was going. If it weren't for the uncomfortable heat that clung to his skin, or the brightness that ate away even with his eyes shut, he wouldn't know where the man was.

"I zot you would have put up more of a fight." A bitter chuckle. "Are all of you this _eazy_ to capture?"

Blocky shuddered at this question. Even though the man hadn't elaborated, the intention was pretty clear. This man seemed like he was willing to capture more zoners, or...

Blocky resisted the urge to widen his eyes at this chilling realization. This man...could he have captured more zoners in the past? How many had he caught? _Was...was he the one who_...?

He let out a yelp of surprise when he felt a hand gripping the center of his chest, fingers pressing against his shirt collar. He was yanked forward. He flinched at the feeling of something sharp scraping against his wrists. He kept his head turned away, even as he felt the hot breath of his captor against his face. Slowly, he forced himself to open up one eye. In that instant, he could see the face of the person who captured him.

Old man. Bald with wrinkles upon his forehead. A pair of glasses setting on his face. Cold, dark eyes staring down at him. A white lab coat reminiscent of a scientist. But one thing struck Blocky the most.

_It was a human_...

That was enough to make his blood run cold. A human. A _creator_. The implications of that... The small zoner felt his heart pound against his chest. It was in that moment that he realized that he was in the Real World.

Flashes swept through his head, subjecting him to the horrors that he experienced the last time he was in the Real World. The dog... The being slurped to death, the being chased around.. It all came back to him, and for a moment, he was frozen in terror. He shivered as he stared at the man in the eyes, unable to turn away.

The man smiled at this. "I zee you realize your zituation. Zat is good. I would hate to have to wazte time teaching you the rulez." The man set the lantern on the ground next to the chair Howdy was strapped down on. "Now, maybe we can get ztarted, _yez_?"

Howdy took in a few quick breaths, trying to make sense of the situation he was. What did this man want with him? What was he going to do? How many had he gone after? What did he want?

The man blinked a few times before he leaned back. "Oh I zee. I forgot to introduze myzelf. I apologize about zat." He placed a hand against himself. "I am Doctor Von Doktor."

Howdy took in a sharp intake of breath. That name... Rudy warned him about this guy. He felt his body shaking harder. When he gained the courage to speak, he said, "I-It's _y-y-you_... B-But..."

"Ah, zo you have heard of me. Zat makez zings eazier. I don't have to tell you more about myzelf. I'm sure that..._child_ told you all about _me_, right?"

Howdy swallowed hard. He wanted to say something else, anything. He wanted to beg the man to let him go. He wanted to ask him what was going on. He wanted to do something other than sit here and be quiet. But no words would come. He found himself simply staring at him out of fear, the chilling realization of who he was keeping him in place. Numbly, sucking on his lip, he nodded his head shakingly.

Von nodded his head. "Of courze he did. But..enough of _him_..." Von walked around behind Howdy. The puppet zoner looked up at him, his eyes widening further. "I want to talk about _you_."

"Wh-What do you want with me...?" Howdy whimpered. "I-I-I didn't do anything... I don't know why you..."

"Oh it'z nothing zat you did. It'z juzt zat.. My partner and I require a little..._help_."

"Help?" Questioned Howdy.

"Yes." With a few quick nods, Von moved around to Howdy's other side. He leaned a little closely. "You zee, we have been conducting experimentz. But we are..mizzing zome zingz. And it iz.._complicating_ zingz to zay the leazt." He placed a hand on Howdy's shoulder. He squeezed it gently, making the zoner cringe. "We need zomeone to...be our delivery boy. Zomeone we can truzt to give uz zome goodz zo we can continue without risking...an _unfortunate aczident_."

Experiments? Unfortunate accident? What was he... Oh no... Howdy's eyes bulged wide as he stared at the man. The stretching smile on his face only cemented the zoner's growing terror of what the man was implying.

Howdy attempted to struggle. He tugged at his arms, trying to yank them out of the sharp, metal cuffs. He only succeeded in slashing one of his arms up a little. He yelped and cringed back. He could feel warm blood seeping down his arm. Trembling, he looked over at the cuff itself, noting that there was now red fluid staining his arm. Realizing that there was no way he could break through, he stopped.

"We would do it ourzelvez, but...you could underztand why we can't." Von said. "We can't have anyone trying to ztop uz. We have zome...planz."

"What are you going to do?" Howdy whispered.

Von cocked up an eyebrow. "Zat izn't your conzern right now, _zoner_." He released Blocky and moved around in front of him. "What I would be more conzerned about, if I were you, iz your...friend."

Howdy felt his heart skip a beat. "M-My friend...?" After a moment, he leaned slightly forward. "A-Are you the one who...?"

"Guilty az charged." Von said with a grin. "Oh he waz a handful at firzt. I do zink he won't be too much of a problem right now."

"_What have you done to him_?!" Howdy cried, his body shaking harder. "_Tell me! What did you do_?!"

"My...getting excited, aren't we? You should relax. Don't get yourzelf worked up over zomething like ziz." The man narrowed his eyes slightly, tilting his head to one side. "And az for what I did... I will not bore you with the detailz. I'll juzt zay I merely did zome teztz on him." He softened his expression, his smile returning. "And don't worry zo much. He iz _alive_."

"Where _is_ he?" Demanded Howdy.

Von narrowed his eyes slightly at this demand. "You will zee him when I dezide you can. For now, you will ztay here. We have zome zingz to dizcuzz."

Howdy turned his head away. "What do you want from me?"

"Blocky iz getting pretty weak."

Howdy shot him a horrified expression. At this, Von chuckled, a grin spreading across his face.

"No, not like _zat_. He iz juzt..hungry and needz water. Unfortunately, he can't have anyzing here." The scientist folded his arms behind his back. He paced around in front of Howdy. "Terry Bouffant and I can't very well have a dead tezt zubject...and we have _more_ planz with him. We have to make sure he stayz alive. But we can't juzt waltz into ChalkZone, even with zee portal that we have. We need zomeone to be our errand boy. And you..." He pointed a finger at Howdy. "...are going to be juzt zat."

"_Me_...?" Howdy spoke in a questioned voice.

"Yez, you." Von confirmed, nodding his head. "You will be the one who will fetch uz zome medizine, food, and water zat we can use for Blocky, so zat he will not die while he iz with uz."

Howdy couldn't believe it. This man... He..he was the one who had kidnapped Blocky. He was the one who had kept him locked away from his friends. Was this were Blocky was this whole time? In the Real World? Experimented on...? What did this awful man and Terry do to him? Was he hurt badly? How far had this awful man gone with him? Did he need help?

Howdy felt a burning sensation eat away at his stomach. He had no idea just what Blocky was subjected to. All he knew is that, whatever it was, it would be far too horrible for the poor guy to be put through. Something that he did not deserve. Howdy could just picture Blocky now, laying on the ground, in pain, begging for help. Trembling in his chair, a mixture of anger and horror rising up inside of him, Howdy resisted any temptation to yell at the man before him, knowing that nothing he said will help the situation.

This man had Blocky. If he made one wrong move, then he could just kill him and then switch to him. Howdy didn't want that. Not that he wouldn't trade places with him, but he did not want the poor zoner to be killed. He..he didn't deserve that.

"All I azk of you iz to use zee portal to go back into your world, get the ztuff I ask for, and bring it to uz. You will be assuring zee zurvival of your friend if you agree to help. He will live longer. If you don't..I cannot guarantee how long he will remain alive. I can only do _so much_ here." The man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. It was clear that he did not really care if Blocky lived or died. To him, he was just a test subject, something to be experimented on, tested on, and nothing more. "It would be..._unfortunate_ if he diez. I would _hate_ to wazte time finding _another_ zpecimen." He looked intently at Howdy. "I do hope that you will help ensure zat won't happen."

"Y-You want me to help you...?" Howdy asked in a low voice. "I-I can't help someone who is hurting my _friend_..." He wanted to struggle. The memory of his wrist getting cut was the only thing that kept him from doing so. "Wh-Why can't you just _let him go_?"

Von raised an eyebrow at this. "Why no..I can't do zat. Not after all zee trouble I went zrough in order to obtain a tezt zubject." He walked to Howdy's right side. He angled himself, bending his side as he positioned his head next to Howdy's side, his side to his back. "I know you wouldn't help me continue my experimentz. But I did zink that you would want to keep your friend from _dying_." With a swift movement, he exchanged sides, now towards Howdy's left. "You don't want _zat_, now do you? Or do you not care what happenz to him?"

Howdy struggled a little. "_No! Please_!"

"Ah, zo you do care." Von said with a darkened smile. "Well zen... I'm sure that you know what you muzt do." He moved out in front of Howdy. With his back turned to him, he said, "You have a choize. Either you agree to help uz, and give uz zee meanz to keep him alive..." He turned his head, looking at Howdy over his shoulders. "..._or_ you will be witnezz to hiz death when zee time comez. The choize iz up to _you_."

Howdy remained silent, staring at the man for a few seconds in shock. He broke his gaze from him, lowing his head and looking left and right. He breathed heavily. His mind swirled, racing with many thoughts. What...what was he going to do?

He had been placed in a situation he didn't think he could win. He was given such a _sadistic choice_... His heart clenced at the thought. He could feel all his muscles aching for him to jump free and get away. He could feel the back of his mind trying to get him to act on instinct. He really wanted to run away from here, find Blocky, and get him out of this awful place. He was here somewhere. Scared, alone, hurt...

What was he going to do? His only options are either give food, water, and medicine to this man to ensure Blocky didn't die, or just let Blocky die from whatever got to him first.

In short, his choice would either _kill_ Blocky, or _prolong_ his suffering.

He shivered at the thought. He didn't want to make Blocky continuously suffer. If he had a choice, he would rather end his pain, but...given the type of person that he was, that type of option was out of his reach. He'd..he'd _never_ want anything like that to happen. He wanted Blocky to live. He wanted him to be taken out of here, returned home with his friends, who loved him. He didn't deserve to be treated like some kind of lab rat, forced to endure experiments all for the sick desire of this man.

But..what options did he have? He had only two. Neither of them were something he would choose, but..he had to pick something, right? Maybe if he agreed to bring the medicine and such, he would be allowed to go back into ChalkZone. Yeah..then he could tell someone about what was going on. Then a rescue mission could be arranged.

"All right then..." Howdy hung his head in submission. "...as long as you promise you won't kill him...or do anything wreckless... I'll give you want you need."

Von grinned. "_Exzellent_. Oh and..." Judging from his expression, it seemed that the man had noticed something...but what? "If you try to tell anyone what happened..."

Howdy gulped as the man moved closer. He had known what he was going to do? What clued him in? Was it his expression? He leaned away as the man got very close to him, his hand squeezing his shoulder again. A finger pressed against his chin, tilting his head upwards slightly.

"Well, let'z juzt zay you will _not like the resultz of zat_..."

Howdy shivered at the man's cold threat. He shrank back in the chair, staring at him in fear. How was this man going to ensure that he didn't tell anyone? He wanted to ask, but his voice had left him. All he could do was stare at him in fear. The man smiled, moving his hand away. As soon as he did, Howdy turned his head to the side, gritting his teeth.

"I will take zat az a mutual underztanding..." The old man said. He straightened himself out, folding his hands and arms behind his back. "I take it we are now in agreement. Correct?" Howdy shut his eyes and nodded his head, not even bothering to try to argue. "Good." The man turned around. "I will leave you here for now. I will let Terry know, and she will take you to zee portal. Get whater she zayz and bring it back here."

Howdy didn't bother replying as he watched the man walk away. The door was shut, the hinges clanging, leaning him alone. He stared out ahead for a few seconds, his mind going through what had just happened. He gave a quick shiver, lowering his head. Realizing what he had just agreed to, the zoner couldn't help but shed a few tears.

_Oh gawd...what did he... no_... Why didn't he resist more? Why didn't he try for another option...? Why didn't he try to get the man to see reason? Why did he agree to this..? He..he had just agreed to prolong his friend's suffering... Oh gawd..he was a horrible person. He..he couldn't believe that he...

Tears cascaded down his cheeks, stinging them. He could feel his nose getting stuffy. His vision blurred, making it hard for him to see anything. He blinked a few times, the warm tears spilling out of them. He gritted his teeth, the chilling thoughts of what he did entering his mind. With a few shaky breaths, he shut his eyes tightly, sniffling. _Blocky_... He hoped that he would forgive him.

After a few moments, Blocky tried to settle himself down. He had to remain as calm as he could. He..he would find a way out of this. He just had to believe in himself. He couldn't let himself lose hope. He had found a way to get Dumpster to not hurt him. He would find a way out of this situation as well.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps outside the door. He lifted up his head. His blurred vision could detect shapes moving, and he heard the sound of the door opening. Green and red greeted his vision. This was not the same person before.

"You're Terry, aren't you...?" Howdy croaked, giving a loud sniffle. The woman froze, as if surprised. "I-I was told you were coming..."

"I see. Well yes, I am Terry Bouffant." She folded her arms against her chest. His vision was still too blurry to tell what kind of expression she was giving. "So...you are the one Doctor Von Doktor chose to be...the deliveray person?" She moved her head up and down, as if to give him a quick examination. "_How pathetic_..."

Howdy resisted the urge to glare at her. He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to flush away his tears. "Are you going to take me to the portal or what?" He paused for a moment. "I'm sure you don't want your test subject to die..." He tried to hide his bitterness, not wanting to make the situation worse.

Terry nodded her head up and down. "That is correct." She walked over towards him. "I will release you from your binds." Her voice darkened. "But _no funny business_. Remember, you are trapped here. You have nowhere to go. If you try to escape, if you do anything to cross us, then we will not hesitate to get you..." The woman took out an object from her pocket. She brought it up to Howdy's face. "..._with this_."

Howdy felt his heart freeze when he saw what the woman was holding. It was an _eraser_... Howdy stared at it, unable to tear his gaze away from it. He shivered, staring at the seemingly mundane object that appeared deceptively harmless. Howdy knew better. All it would take was a gentle rub from the underside of that thing, and then...

The zoner shivered in fear. The bottom might look smooth, but to him, it was akin to a lot of tiny hooks, scraping away at his flesh through _mere touch_. It would be like when that dog licked him to death. Only this time, there would be no coming back into ChalkZone. _No second chances... It would be over for him__**.**_

"I-I understand..." The puppet zoner choked out.

Terry smiled darkly at this. "Good. Still..." She looked down at the eraser. "I will keep this with me...just in case. After all, you might get some idea and..." She glared into the zoner's eyes, as if she wanted to drive the point home. After seeing Howdy cringe, she relented, softening her gaze. "I'm glad that you understand. Makes things a lot..._easier_."

Terry reached over and undid the cuffs that held Howdy in place. One by one, they came off. Howdy remained still and quiet as they were removed. As soon as the last one came off, he lurched forward with the pressure suddenly gone. He was hardly given any chance to recover when Terry grabbed onto his arm and yanked him out. The zoner gave a yelp of surprise and soon found himself dangling in the air.

Terry glared at him softly. "_Now_...come along with me." She released him, watching as he hit the ground with a thud. "And do not diddle dally. We do not have all the time in the world. ...well your _friend_ doesn't anyway." She tilted her head to one side. "Got it?"

Howdy could only nod numbly. Without another word, Terry began to lead him down the hallway.


	16. Arguments

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 16: Arguments

_**It is true what they say. The smallest thing can yield the biggest changes.**_

sss

Rudy panted heavily as he moved down the street quickly. He had no idea if his aunt realized he was gone or not. He didn't dare look behind him. He didn't dare try to see if there was any vehicle following him. His aunt would know right away where he had gone to. It would take no complicated deduction for her to realize he was going to Penny's, the person he wasn't allowed to see yet.

He moved himself as quickly as he could, not wanting to waste any time. He wasn't sure if Mrs. Sanchez knew anything about ChalkZone. He prayed that she didn't, that Aunt Tilly hadn't called and told her. It would complicate things otherwise.

What would Mrs. Sanchez think of him if she found out? Would she get angry at him for letting her daughter roam around this supposedly dangerous world? Would she forbid Penny from seeing him at all? Would she oust Rudy as some kind of..._traitor_? Okay, that seems a bit farfetched. Still, he knew the woman was not going to be happy if she found out, and he dreaded to know what her reaction towards him in particular was going to be.

A bit of anger boiled in his blood over this whole ordeal. He couldn't believe just how much time had been wasted here. He hadn't gotten a chance to head into ChalkZone yet. He needed to speak with Snap about what happened. He needed to go in and talk to some zoners again to see if there was any new word on what happened with Blocky. He needed to know if there were any unusual activities that would indicate Terry was making a move. There was just a bunch of stuff that he needed to know. And yet here he was, trapped in the Real World, trying to fix this problem.

Again, he felt bitterness towards his aunt. If she had just been more willing to listen, if she hadn't jumped to conclusions...

He shook his head. No, he couldn't continue blaming his aunt. He understood her sentiment and concern. She was just worried about him, and she really didn't know that much about ChalkZone. Being his aunt and Sophie's mother, of course she would be rather cautious and skeptical of this world they had been in. And he did keep this a secret from them for so long, and it may be hard for her to wrap her mind around why he had never spoken up about it before.

He realized that he was just as much to blame anyway. He should have made sure the portal was erased. If he had done that, then Terry wouldn't have her grubby hands on it. Oh...he hoped the zoners were okay. He hoped that Terry hadn't started to use the chalkboard to her advantage. The only comforting thing is that there was no broadcast about this sort of thing yet, indicating that Terry hadn't yet spilled the beans.

Exactly why, he wasn't sure. And at the moment, despite the fear of what she might be planning, he was still glad that she was keeping quiet about it so far. And hopefully one of the zoners would find the portal, and find a way to render it useless somehow.

Without that portal, Terry had _nothing_. No proof of ChalkZone. No hordes of people wanting to get in. The zoners would be safe.

Rudy stopped in his tracks when he saw Penny's house up ahead. He looked around, seeing no sign of Penny or her mother. He took in a deep breath and walked closer.

The aroma of the animals filled the air. Rudy took in a few sniffs and wrinkled his nose right away. He jerked his head to one side, putting a hand over his mouth and trying to resist the urge to vomit. _Oh man_... how do those two girls tolerate living like _this_? He had been here a few times, and he still wasn't entirely used to the smell. This was even worse, which means that...

Rudy widened his eyes as he realized that Mrs. Sanchez was likely coming out to do some late cleaning. He crouched behind a nearby tree as he heard the telltale click of a door opening. He peered over and looked towards the house.

Sure enough, it was Mrs. Sanchez. She had her cleaning outfit on, complete with gloves. Just like he suspected, she was going to do some sanitation work. On the one hand, this would make it harder to get into the house as she would be outside, and might spot him trying to get in. But on the other, she would be pretty busy cleaning and wouldn't be back up for a while. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to speak with Penny, just in case her mom was in on the deal with Aunt Tilly.

The boy moved forward swiftly. He looked over at where the woman was. She currently had her back turned to him. She was using the hose to fill up a large bucket of water, adding in some soap along with it. The suds practically overflowed off the edge. Rudy turned his attention back towards the door. He quickened his pace and opened up the door slowly. He took one more look at Penny's mom to ensure she wasn't looking, then he shut it.

Rudy carefully peered out of the window, keeping his head low. He could see Mrs. Sanchez looking over at the house, her head tilted over her shoulder. She must have heard the door shut. Rudy bit his lip, wondering why he had to be so loud. He felt his heart starting to beat faster when she moved towards the house. Then, after a few moments, she scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders. She turned and went back to do some work.

Rudy looked around the house. He didn't see any sign of Penny yet. She didn't appear to be downstairs at all. The couch looked a little messed up, so he knew she was down here recently. Perhaps she had gone upstairs. With that in mind, he ascended the staircase.

When he walked into her room, he immediately found his friend on her bed. Penny was rested on her back, her face staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to tell if she had even noticed him or not.

And her expression... It seemed like something was _wrong_. Penny usually didn't have this expression unless something was bothering her. The boy bit his lip, worry rising up in his stomach. He remained quiet for a few moments, his mind running through the possibilities. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it could be. Knowing that he didn't exactly have infinite time, he moved towards her, clearing his throat.

"Penny...?"

The girl tilted her head slightly to the side. She looked over and spotted Rudy. She simply stared at him for a few moments before she gave a small smile and nodded her head. "Hello, Rudy. I was..kind of hoping to see you."

"You were?" Rudy shook his head, realizing how stupid that sounded. "I mean..."

"Don't worry. I understand what you meant." Penny cut him off. "I was hoping to speak to you quickly. I...I need to...tell you something."

Rudy felt his heart clench. From her tone of voice, he knew this was not going to be good news. Well, it wasn't like he had anything good to say, either. At least they wouldn't be alone in that. "Yeah...same here." Penny looked over at him. "Yeah, something...pretty bad happened." He rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't think I'd get another chance to tell you."

Penny gave a small smile. "Are you going to elope with me?"

"_What_?!" Rudy cried.

"I'm just kidding." Penny gave a quick chuckle. Her smile quickly faded. She turned her gaze upward. "But in all seriousness, Rudy... I'm sure that you know that things have...gotten _rather complicated_."

"That's putting it mildly. Ever since that portal was stolen by Terry..."

"Not to mention your aunt finding out about ChalkZone..." Penny paused for a moment. Rudy stared at her expectantly. It looked as though she had more to say. She narrowed her eyes slightly, gritting her teeth, looking left and right. With an exasperated sigh, she shot herself up in the bed. She kicked the sides of her feet together as her mind looked as thought it was racing with many thoughts. "Rudy..._my mom knows about ChalkZone as well_."

At this, Rudy sucked in a quick breath. He stared at Penny in utter horror. He waited, hoping that it was some kind of mistake, or even a sick joke. But Penny's expression never changed. She simply looked at Rudy sadly, allowing the full impact of her words to hit him. Rudy replayed the phrase over and over again in his mind, feeling it practically echo within his own skill. His breathing increasing, he leaned his head back, and felt his blood turn to ice.

Penny's mom knew about ChalkZone... The implications of that... _Oh no_... How did she find out? How long had she known? Was she angry at him? He immediately turned his head out of the window, feeling his feet propelling him towards it. He scanned the front lawn for any signs of Penny's mother.

Penny seemed to note his distress. "It's okay, Rudy. My mom isn't upset with you."

Rudy felt some relief at this. But that didn't lighten the situation up by much. He looked at her worriedly and asked, "How...how did she find out?"

Penny lowered her gaze, her eyes halfway open. "She...saw a couple of portals in the past."

"_What_?!" Rudy stiffened up at this, his fingers spreading out. "How? Which ones?" He raised his hands up at his sides. "How could she have seen any of them? We had always been so careful and..."

Penny shook her head. "Not always as careful as we could be." She closed her eyes. "She saw you push my head into the portal after the Mother Tongue incident." Rudy's eyes widened at this. Penny looked at him and added, "And she saw your portal usage at the concert you snuck to."

Rudy felt his heart skip a beat at this, his mind getting a shock of lightning. He flashed back to those incidents. Penny's mom had seen him...? He didn't realize anyone was back there with.. And the concert...He thought everyone had just dismissed it as an act, an illusion. But Penny's mom had seen right through it... Why didn't she say anything earlier?

Penny turned her head to the side. "I'm just as shocked as you were..."

"I-I just..." Rudy clutched his head tightly, digging his fingernails into his scalp. "She never said a... Oh man..." He clinched his eyes shut tightly, baring his teeth. "Please tell me she didn't tell anyone else..."

Penny looked at him sadly. "I really don't know, Rudy. I'm sorry." She placed her hands under her chin. "I wish I could tell you... But she never told me."

Rudy felt like a large weight had just been dropped on them. His legs felt weak and wobbly. He stumbled forward as his strength rapidly left him. He placed his hand against the wall and leaned on it for support. He put a hand on his head and rubbed it. He felt his thoughts going a million miles per hour, his speeding heart keeping up with the pace of his mind. This...this was so much to take in. For a moment, he forgot what he had come here to tell Penny, and he found himself sliding along the ground, his legs giving out. Soon he rested in front of her now shut door, his body bent forward and his head down, his eyes gazing to the ground.

Just great... just _perfect_... _Someone else found out about ChalkZone_. And what made this worse was... it wasn't a recent thing. Penny's mom had...she had known... He wasn't sure to what degree, but she knew. And who knows who she might have told in the meantime, or what she had in mind. Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get any worse...

What were they going to do now? Penny's mom was a well respected vet, and knew more people than his aunt did. She certainly had more influence as well. If she had decided to do something about ChalkZone, the citizens of Plainsville would listen to her more readily than Aunt Tilly. And if that happened... Rudy shuddered at the thought of a zoner being experimented on by Penny's own mom.

"She's doing chores right now." Penny said.

"Yeah, I saw. I had to sneak past her to get in." Rudy replied. Penny gave him a soft glare. "Well I had to come see you and I was worried that if I got caught..."

Penny waved her hand out in front of her. "Oh forget about it, Rudy. The point is you're here now." She let out a sigh and clasped her fingers together. "Why don't you tell me what your news is?" She suggested. She raised up a hand in gesture. "Then we can work together to discuss a solution."

Rudy lowered his gaze. "Well, mine isn't as urgent as your mom knowing about ChalkZone..." He felt a cold chill go up his spine at that. "I hope she doesn't make things difficult like my aunt just did."

"I'm sure that my mom will..." Penny's eyes widened, suddenly becoming quiet. What Rudy said appeared to finally click with her. "What...what do you mean, Rudy?" The boy stared at her in sad silence. Penny's eyes furrowed with concern as she leaned forward, placing a hand on her thigh. "What's going on?"

Rudy folded his arms behind his back, shifting his body as though he had done something really wrong. He turned his gaze away for a few seconds. He wasn't sure how he was going to break this to her. He had never had something like this happen between them before. He didn't even know how long it was going to last. But he had to tell her.

Turning his gaze back towards her, he spoke in a small, solemn voice. "My aunt has _forbidden_ me from seeing you."

It took seconds for Rudy's words to click with Penny. "What?! She said _that_?" Rudy nodded his head numbly. "But..but _why_...?"

"She wants me to stay away from you..." Rudy turned his head away again. "..and ChalkZone..." He then looked back at her. "..until she talks to my parents about it."

Penny put a hand to her mouth. "Oh...oh my..."

Rudy continued, "She feels my parents have the right to know. She wants to talk to them about this...and decide what to do with ChalkZone."

"Your aunt must be very concerned..." Penny pointed out.

"Well I still wish she could have kept her promise!" Rudy shouted, the old anger returning with a vengeance. Penny raised an arm part way and cringed. "She promised that she wouldn't tell my parents about it! Then she went around and..."

After a few tense moments, Penny asked carefully, "...did she tell your folks yet?"

Rudy shook his head. "So far, no. At least..I don't think she did." Rudy let out a sigh, forcing most of the anger to seep through his fingers. Being angry wasn't going to help him right now. "I just wish that she would listen to reason... She..she has no idea what she is doing. If she would just..." His voice trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"I understand, Rudy. It can be really frustrating when someone doesn't listen to you. And you and I both knew that this would have been difficult, even if we initiated it. Our folks were going to be upset no matter how gently we broke it to them. I can't blame either of our folks for reacting this way. They must feel so hurt..."

"I know... It's still hard, though. Aunt Tilly made a mess of everything and..." He fell silent, shaking his head. He rubbed his forehead, wondering how they were going to get out of this mess.

"Rudy... your aunt was the one who told my mom about ChalkZone." Penny's voice cut through the silence.

Rudy felt ice shoot through his veins. He looked over at Penny slowly, horror etching on his face. "She...did _what_...?"

Penny spoke in a solemn voice, "She had called my mom earlier and told her." Rudy stared at her in shock, unable to look away. "To be fair, like I said, my mom already knew about some alternate dimension, but..."

"If she told you..." Rudy's mind became numb at the realization. "..then who else could she have told...?"

Penny sucked on her lip. "I really don't know, Rudy. I hope she hasn't told anyone else. If she did.."

It wasn't necessary for Penny to finish. They both knew exactly what was at stake. If Rudy's aunt did tell more than just Penny's mother, it would mean devastation for ChalkZone. Even if they got their parents to be less suspicious of ChalkZone and more accepting of it, there was no guarantee the same would spread to whoever was told of this place. And what if the word spread further? If Aunt Tilly did something so foolish... who knows how far the news might have spread by now...?

Rudy took in a few quick breaths, gripping his shirt tightly, feeling his heart racing. His mind's thoughts raced through, just as quick as before, as he tried to cope with this new, possible reality.

He had let everyone down... The zoners, he let them _all_ down. If he had just _erased the stupid portal_... If he had just stopped and made sure it was closed, none of this would have happened. It was his own stupidity that had enabled this to happen and he had no one to blame but himself.

Now _all of ChalkZone_ could be in trouble... Not just Blocky. And poor Blocky..he hadn't even been able to help find him. He had no idea what could have happened to him. There were ideas, and he and Penny thought they had a lead, but nothing concrete. He hoped that, wherever he ultimately was, that he hanging in there.

Then something entered his mind. There was a bit of detail he had almost forgotten about. He had dismissed it at first, but..he wondered something. He turned his attention to Penny, who looked at him with an expression of curiosity.

"There's something I just remembered."

"Oh?" Asked Penny. "What is it?"

"I had overheard something Sophie said. While I was trying to wrap my head around the situation with my aunt, Sophie had kept trying to play with me. She kept talking about green paper and wanting to draw on it." Rudy gritted his teeth as he replayed the scene in his head. He couldn't believe he didn't make the connection until now. "I dismissed it, as my mind was elsewhere, for obvious reasons of course."

Penny nodded her head. "Continue."

Rudy said, "Well...I can't help but wonder..." He paused for a moment. If what he was about to say was true, then that would alter what he and Penny thought might have happened. "What if that green paper..._was Blocky_?"

Penny's eyes widened at this. "What makes you think it could have been him..?"

"Because he's _green_, Penny." Rudy pointed out. "And he's _flat_. He is practically _living paper_. He's not like Snap, who has dimension unless he's flat against a wall. Blocky's flat _all the time_." He paused for a moment to let this information sink into Penny's head. Then he continued, "Sophie could have been the one to drag Blocky out into the Real World..."

"But...we would have seen it, right...?" Penny sounded uncertain and wary. "I mean..we couldn't have missed something like that. We..."

Rudy narrowed his eyes softly. "Considering all the chaos that went on, and the confusion, and trying to get everyone to the hospital.. Yeah I can see how we could have overlooked this."

Penny lowered her gaze, her mouth dropping open. "I-I don't believe it..."

"Neither can I, Penny." Rudy clinched his eyes shut tightly. "She must have dragged him into the Real World while we weren't looking!" He felt like kicking the ground. He resisted the urge to do so. "We should have been paying more attention! If that is the case... we have even less of an idea of where Blocky could be! He could be _anywhere_ now!"

Penny looked at Rudy sympathetically. She got up from her bed and swiftly made her way over to him. She knelt down onto one knee and placed a hand on his shoulder. She gently squeezed his shoulder as she kept her gaze leveled with his eyes.

"It's okay, Rudy." She whispered gently. "We will find him. Somehow. Y-You'll see..."

Rudy could detect the slight shakiness of Penny's voice at the end. He didn't bring it up, but it did remind him of how desperate the situation has truly become. _All because he didn't close the dang portal_...

What was he going to do now? He had no idea how he was going to fix this mess. He grabbed onto his head, digging in his fingernails, and gnashed his teeth together. Despite Penny's comfort, he could feel the guilt eating away at him. Oh if only he hadn't been so stupid... This all could have been easily avoided if he had just been paying attention, if he had just remembered one simple thing...

He took in a few deep breaths, Penny's words of comfort now finally started to get through to him. She was right. He couldn't keep blaming himself for this. What happened has happened and there was nothing he could do about that fact. Right now, they needed to focus on fixing these issues. It was going to be tough, their hardest challenge yet. But they may succeed if they just try hard enough. They have been through tough scraps before. They may rise out of this one as well.

Rudy smiled gratefully at Penny. He was glad to have her around to knock a bit of sense into him. He halted when he noticed her expression now. Not the same comforting one from before, but rather one that was...worried. He bit his lip and leaned towards her. Now it seemed it was going to be his turn to be the comforter.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"There is something else I need to tell you. I have been meaning to bring this up for a while, but with all that's happened... Well anyway, it concerns Doctor Von Doktor."

Rudy felt his heart skip a beat at this. "What about _him_?"

Penny stared at him in the eyes. "He was over at my place a couple days ago." She paused for a moment, looking left and right. "He...he had been trying to..."

Rudy narrowed his eyes, clenching his teeth. "I can't believe that he would try that same thing again..."

"My mom kicked him out." Penny said. Rudy was glad for that. Penny continued, "He did show up later... I had..._stopped breathing_ somehow..and he saved my life. That is the story he says anyway..."

Rudy stared at Penny, wide-eyed. She had stopped breathing...? The thought caused a chill to shoot down his spine. Immediately, he seized his friend by her shoulders and yanked her towards him. "_What happened?! Are you okay_?!"

"I'm fine, really." Penny gently pushed his hands away. "I was just a little...off for a while. That's all."

Rudy said in a stern voice, "Tell me what happened..."

sss

Blocky awoke in great pain. He let out a yelp of pain, the brief reprive he got from being unconscious now completely over. He tried to sit up, but was immediately stopped, a sharp, wrack of pain sweeping through his side. He screamed and he fell flat against the ground once more. He shivered in agony, tears flowing down his face.

_Relief_...how often had he felt that lately? How often had he been in shere agony, struggling to even take a breath? Not a whole lot, he knew. He had experienced nothing but pain and fear since he got here. And as the pain sharpened his mind, it also brought back more memories of what had transpired here, leaving him no longer confused. But he wasn't sure if he would consider himself all that lucky to remember this stuff.

The zoner looked at his side. It was currently bandaged up. He could feel the warm cloth pressing against it, covering what he knew was a large, water induced gash. He dare not untie the bandage to look, despite curiosity. He knew how he was going to react. The last thing he needed right now was a heart attack.

He took a moment to look around the enclosure that he was in. Lifting up his left arm, he was able to determine that he wasn't strapped down. Either he never was, or the restraints had been moved. There was a fleeting tug in his chest. Was it possible that his captors had felt sorry for him and let him go? But then, with a growing weight in his stomach, he realized that couldn't be the case. After all the trouble they went through to get him...why would they waste all their efforts by releasing him?

It was strange, though, how there didn't seem to be any walls at first. He could see everything pretty clearly, and nothing appeared to be obstructing his view. He shifted himself on the ground, wincing in pain, as he tried to figure out what was going on.

Only after a while did he notice something was up. The vision around him wasn't perfect. It was a little blurred. Was it his own eyes? _No_... His hands and feet didn't look distorted. He realized that there had to be something in front of him. Only a few seconds were required for him to realize he was trapped in a glass prison of some kind. Left and right, he looked, feeling his heart pound in his chest. He was truly trapped.

At first, he thought he was going to suffocate. He then noticed there were some small holes, allowing air to flow through. He let out a sigh of relief as he realized he was not going to run out of oxygen. He thanked the creators that Real World air was at least manageable to zoners and vice versa.

He stared intently at the opening. He wondered...would he be able to fit in through there? The hole wasn't too small. Perhaps if he could work up the energy, and ignore the pain he was in, he'd be able to fold himself up and squeeze through the hole and get out. His hopes were dashed when he noticed that the holes all had jagged edges to them. They looked like they were carved in manually. It was as though his captors suspected he might try that, even with relatively small holes, and did something about it.

He grabbed his head tightly, rubbing it. There were some things about his encounter here that he did not remember, or only could recall bits and pieces of. He had no doubt in his head that this was the result of whatever they had done to him. He felt no sharp sting of a needle, yet his head was swirling and aching, a feeling that was so familiar. Yes, he had experienced this before. _What had they done to him_?

He didn't dwell on this too long before his thoughts shifted around to something else. He wondered how his friends were doing. He had been gone for a while now, hasn't he? He no longer remembered, but judging from how hungry and thirsty he felt, he knew it was over twenty-four hours at least. At the thought of this, he licked his try lips a little, feeling his stomach growling. Somehow, he doubted he was going to get a decent meal anytime soon.

He wished he could see his friends again. He didn't want them to worry. He wanted to show them that he was okay, that he was fine. He wanted to go home, reunite with the ones he cared about. He knew they were out there, somewhere, searching for him. He bit his lip, his heart twisting at the thought of his friends being so worried about him. He felt a tear forming in his eye.

He had to find someway out of here. There had to be a way to get out. He just had to suck it up, try to cope with the pain, and find a way out of this glass prison. Maybe if he hit against it hard enough, he could get out and...

_But then what_? He didn't think he'd be able to get that far without one of the two adults spotting him. With the pain that he was in, he would be hindered, and wouldn't be able to move as fast. He would be caught very easily, and then they would put him in an even stronger prison. Or they could perform a cruel experiment on him for nothing more than punishment. Or perhaps, they would even kill him. Then his friends would have nothing left to find but a...a corpse..

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door opening. With a loud creak and shadows creeping along the ground, Blocky noticed a somewhat tall woman approaching. He let out a small whimper when he realized it was Terry.

The woman was approaching his enclosure with some small bag in her hands. He started to shiver in fright, wondering what he was going to do with her. Was this another of those horrid experiments? He looked up at her pleadingly, begging her not to do it. But she ignored his gaze, continuing to stare at him coldly as she moved even closer. She would be at his enclosure any second, and with too much pain to even ry to fight back, there was no way Blocky could avoid whatever fate this woman had in mind for him.

Blocky begged. "P-Please...don't hurt me..."

"Oh _shut up_." Terry snarled at him. "Quit your belly aching. I didn't come here to hurt you."

Blocky felt some relief at this. But this was short-lived when confusion began to take hold. "You...weren't?" Terry shook her head. Blocky stared at her for a couple seconds. "Then..what are you here for?"

Terry raised the bag up in her hands. "Feeding time." She shook it, the contents making themselves known. Upon seeing Blocky's expression, she added, "Yes, this food _is_ from ChalkZone. As for _how_ I got it... _you_ do not need to know the details of that right now. Let's just say we had a little..._help_..."

Blocky had no idea what she meant. He would have tried to ask her, but he knew it would have been useless. She would not speak. So he remained quiet and watched as the woman lifted up the lid on top of his enclosure, which was secured by some locks. He stared up at her, still on his back, still in pain. She glared softly at him, showing no remorse or kindness or anything. She lifted up the bag over him and, with a snarl, she let go.

The bag fell down and, a second later, hit Blocky against his stomach, near his side. He let out a yelp of pain, holding onto his side, seething. The bag rolled off of him, its contents spilling out. Blocky didn't pay attention, his currently locked in pain.

"Enjoy your meal, _zoner_." Terry hissed before she walked away, leaving him alone.

sss

Rudy stared at his friend. His mind replayed what Penny had said in his head over and over, but he still couldn't make full sense of it.

Von had been over at Penny's house and...saved her life apparently. But why would he do that? Why would Penny suddenly not breathe? Something about the whole thing just felt...wrong to him. Now he wasn't an expert or anything on medical stuff, and Penny's mom didn't really seem to notice anything really all that strange about what the man said. But he still had some suspicion about the whole thing.

It wasn't that he thought that Von would have hurt Penny or anything. It was just that... Von wasn't the kind of person whom he would trust with something like that. He was more the kind of man who would focus on his own problems than focus on others. To him, Von would have just walked by Penny without caring to notice. And didn't it seem really strange that he would _just so happened_ to show up while she was choking?

Yeah, something about this didn't quite add up. Penny agreed as well, as she was feeling a bit suspicious herself. Unfortunately, she was not able to recall enough for Rudy and her to get a better idea of what could have happened. Penny believes that their best bet is to go out in the back where her mom was working and revisit the scene of the crime. But that wouldn't work well; not with her mom out there. They needed some other way.

But Penny insisted it was the only way they can get any information. Despite Rudy's protests and cause for concern, Penny told him that if they are going to get to the bottom of what happened, the only way they would is if they go back to where she remembered waking up.

"But...what about your mom, Penny?" Rudy asked. "Wouldn't she...?"

"I know it's a risk, Rudy." Penny said. "But...Von is up to something. I don't trust him, and neither do you."

"Yeah, but... I don't know if your mom will be happy to see me. And with this whole thing with ChalkZone..." Rudy's voice trailed off. He lowered his head. Although he knew he had his reasons, he still felt a pang of guilt for lying to his folks for so long.

Penny looked at him sympathetically. "It'll be okay, Rudy. We'll just wait my mom comes back into the house."

"What? _But_..." Rudy started to say, but Penny cut him off.

"My mom goes into the office in the lower level to answer emails and calls from clients, and to crunch in today's data. She'll be in there for a while, which will give us time to look around the back." Penny suggested. Rudy still looked unsure. He knew something could still go wrong. Penny gave him a reassuring smile and touched his shoulder. "It will be fine. I promise." She tilted her head to one side. "You don't think I would lead you astray, now do you?"

Rudy shook his head. "_No_ of course _not_!" He said quickly.

"Good." Penny folded her arms and smiled. She turned her head towards the window. "My mom should be coming back into the building soon. Once she is, she will be in her office for some time. How long she is there varies." She looked back at Rudy. "But that should still give us a window of opportunity. We can slip out of the house and do a quick look around. Hopefully we will find something out of place."

"But..." Rudy just realized something. "What if we don't find anything? I mean, your mom was out there before, and..." He raised his hands at his sides. "She hasn't found anything yet, has she?"

Penny shook her head. "No... But that's because she _wasn't_ looking. She completely bought Von's story. And she was so worried for my health and focusing on me that she hadn't really spent time checking the accuracy of that man's story."

Rudy frowned his eyes at this. Not that he could blame the woman for worrying so much about her daughter, but he wished that Mrs. Sanchez had shown at least some initiative. It would have been understandable if she were unaware of the man's past actions. But she was no stranger, and she had even been smart enough to kick him out. But her daughter stopping breathing, and the man just happening to be there and reviving her... and she doesn't _at all_ think this is some kind of weird coincidence?

Rudy wasn't sure what the man's motives were for coming. He didn't know what he had up his sleeve in saving Penny like that. But he was going to find out somehow. The man was up to no good. He had tried coming after him and then he went after Penny, and he was certain it had to deal with ChalkZone.

For now, he and Penny would wait until the right time to make their move. He was still nervous about her mother catching him, as he didn't know her whole view on ChalkZone. But he pushed those feelings aside as he tried to focus on the mission at hand. Penny was right. They needed to at least try to get some information, and if she assures him that her mother isn't going to interfere with them, then he should believe her. Penny doesn't lie about that kind of stuff.

Rudy and Penny sat in the room together and waited. They were mostly quiet, listening intently to the partially cracked open window. Rudy waited for Penny to give the word, since she would be the first to realize if her mother was heading back into the house or not. They stayed away from the window, knowing that Rudy's cover could easily be blown if Mrs. Sanchez looked up. They also tried not to make too much noise, not wanting to somehow attract the woman's attention.

During their wait, they did talk a little bit about Blocky. The fact that Sophie may have been the one to drag him into the Real World did shake things up a bit. Rudy had no idea where he was going to start searching now if that is the case. Penny assured him that Blocky wouldn't have gone far, and that perhaps he was waiting around the side of the house, hidden from sight. It was a best case scenario and she admitted it was a bit of wishful thinking. It was one case where, in the end, they both agreed him being captured might be a better option as it meant that they had actual places that they could look.

Rudy felt awful for not trying to look for his friend earlier, in case he was hiding around the house, too afraid to show his face. He wished he had thought of doing that sooner. Penny assured him the best she could, but despite her words, Rudy still felt a level of responsibility.

After a while, Penny raised her head up and looked around. She quickly told Rudy in a low voice that her mother was back in the house. Rudy nodded his head in understanding, and waited silently with Penny, looking to her for the signal. After a few moments of Penny standing near the door, listening intently, she gestured to Rudy to follow.

The two children headed through the house as silently as they could. They descended the staircase silently, their footfalls as light as they could make them. They casted a worried glance at each other once in a while, especially when they heard some noises that suggested Penny's mom was coming back. Nothing happened, but they quickened their pace nonetheless. They soon reached the door. They paused and looked around, making sure that Penny's mom still hadn't heard them. They then shut the door and they headed outside.

Rudy followed Penny as she led him to the back, where the animals were kept. Rudy hunched his shoulders when some of the animals began to make some noise, such as one of the dogs barking. Penny grabbed his arm and hurried him along, assuring him that her mom will likely think nothing of it if he didn't stick around too long to provoke further barking.

Soon they reached the area where Penny claimed to have woken up. Rudy looked up and down, noting that they were behind the massive red barn where the horses were kept. In front was the brown-colored fence and tall trees, keeping the area in some speckled shade.

"This is where you..." Rudy started to say.

"Yes, Rudy. I _already_ told you." Penny said, folding her arms. "Or were you not listening?"

"_Sorry_. I just want to make sure." He went down onto one knee. He looked around, his eyes scanning the grass around him. He stopped when he realized something. "Uh..._what_ exactly are we looking for again?"

Penny was already on the ground, looking. "For anything suspicious."

That didn't exactly narrow anything down. Rudy didn't know what they could be looking for, what would constitute as suspicious. The ground would have all kinds of marks, different footprints, animal hair, feathers, some..._unmentionable_ things... How would they know when they find something that showed something was off that day? No way to know until they looked, he guessed. So following Penny's lead, he began to scower the ground around the back of the barn.

So far, the searching came up empty. There was nothing too strange about the ground here. Just what they would expect from a house that was also a vet. Still, they searched, covering every drop of ground in front of the barn's back, even going all the way to the fence if they had to.

But nothing was coming up. Rudy, feeling his back and side getting sore, straightened himself up. He put his hands on his hips and looked around. Penny was still searching. Her expression showed that she was having trouble as well, and he was surprised that she was keeping up the pace. Rudy tore his eyes away from her and looked around. He could see the grass bent where he and Penny had walked continuously. And still..._nothing_.

Rudy was about to say something when a shout from Penny caught his attention. Turning over towards her, the small boy rushed over to her side. The girl was on her knees, staring at something intently. Rudy couldn't see what it was at first and asked Penny over and over what she was staring at. Wordlessly, Penny reached down and grabbed something off the ground with a pair of tweezers. Rudy couldn't see it as Penny lifted it off the ground, squeezed between the metal tips.

"Well...isn't this _interesting_?" Penny said softly, her eyes glued on something that was practically nonexistent.

"What is it?" Rudy peered as closely as he could. But he still saw nothing. "I don't see anything."

"It's a broken piece of a needle." Penny said. She didn't take her eyes off the thing. Her frown spread across her face. "I think something more than just me passing out happened here..."

Rudy's eyes widened in horror. _A needle_? He wasn't surprised by the presence of a needle, as Mrs. Sanchez had to use them with her animals. But a broken piece of needle out this way was _not_ something he expected to find. The woman was usually very careful with needles and she did not use them in the back of the barn. The presence of a needle tip in the same place as Penny had passed out painted a _very horrifying picture_.

They looked at each other at this realization. What this was _implying_... If that man had... _Oh gawd what the fuck did he do_...?

Before they could say anything to each other, they heard footsteps approaching them. Fast, energy-filled, the sound of angry panting. The two children froze as the tall shadow of Mrs. Sanchez stood over them, her anger-filled eyes staring down at them.

The two children stared up at her in silence for a few seconds. Penny was the first one to speak.

"H-Hello, mom..." Penny grinnd nervously, her arms behind her back, kicking her leg nervously. "Um...how are you?"

"Don't try playing innocent with me, Penny." Mrs. Sanchez folded her arms behind her back. "I know that you were hiding Rudy in here the whole time."

"What? You...you knew I was here?" Rudy asked softly.

Mrs. Sanchez glared at him and nodded her head. "Oh yes. I heard you come into the house. The only reason I didn't say anything was because I was on a tight schedule." She turned her attention back to Penny. "I am certain that I told you that Rudy's aunt doesn't want you two seeing each other _until_ we get this sorted out."

"Mom..you _never_ told me..."

"Well I _am now_! Rudy Tabootie..." The woman turned her stern glance at the small boy. "I'm sorry, but you will have to _leave_. I already called your aunt and informed her of what you did." Rudy's eyes widened. "You can go back and have a chat with her. I'm sure she has a _lot_ to say to you right now."

Rudy felt a cold shiver go down his spine. This was exactly the reaction he hoped he wouldn't get from this woman. She was driving him away, back home, and deliberately informed his aunt of his escape. He could feel his heart beating against his chest. He...he couldn't believe it... What was going to happen now?

He couldn't begin to imagine just what his aunt must be feeling right now. Hurt, anger, betrayal. She must be worried sick about him, and then to know that he had deliberately disobeyed her and went to Penny's... Oh she was going to blow a casket when he got back. He could feel his cheek stinging and he gently touched it, imagining a phantom hand striking him there again. He stared at the woman in silence, quietly begging her to let him stay or at least listen to him. But Mrs. Sanchez's glare never softened and she stared at him, waiting for him to reply or leave.

"No, please mom..." Penny grabbed onto her mother's arm. "_Please_ let him stay. We're trying to figure out something that happened back here and..."

"Whatever it is..." Mrs. Sanchez took a step away from her daughter. "...I'm sure it can wait until after we get this mess with this..this..._ChalkZone_ straightened up." She put her hands on her hips tightly, her glare never leaving her face. She looked at the two children as her frown deepened. "Don't think you two are going to..." Suddenly she stopped for a few seconds, a confused look plastering over her face. Then she spoke again, this time in a soft voice, "_What is this_...?"

The two children looked at each other in confusion, wondering what she could possibly have meant. They looked back at her in confusion, watching as she took a few steps towards Penny. Her eyes appeared to be looking at something, and when they followed her gaze, they soon saw it was what Penny was holding that caught the woman's attention.

Mrs. Sanchez reached over and took the tweezers from Penny's hand. She held it up towards her face, peering at it closely. A few seconds later, a look of horror washed over her eyes. She immediately turned to Penny.

"_Where did you get this_...?" Her voice had never been so thick with tension and fear before.

"It was on the ground..." Penny spoke softly. She pointed towards the barn. "Rudy and I were looking around, a-and I found it..."

Mrs. Sanchez stared at the two children in horror. She looked at the needle piece, shifting her gaze rapidly between it and Rudy and Penny. Then, seconds later, her eyes narrowed, a cold, serious look replacing her previous anger. The next words she spoke were through clenched teeth.

"Come with me."

sss

Penny was in absolute shock. She remained frozen where she stood, unable to believe the words that her mother had just spoken.

"_You were drugged_."

Penny kept her gaze into the ground, her heart nearly frozen, trying to come to terms with this fact. When her mother discovered the needle tip, she had guided her and Rudy into her lab, which was located in the basement of the house. She took the needle and compared it to one of the holes in her neck, previously dismissed as mere bugbites. When it looked as though the needle would fit in, her mother drew the horrifying conclusion.

Suddenly, the pieces began to fall together. Horror swept through her head as she realized what really happened that day.

Dr. Von Doktor hadn't helped her. He had drugged her. He was the reason she had passed out. He had snuck up on her, grabbed her, and drugged her. Memories flooded back, and suddenly Penny could remember distinctly being harrassed. She felt a cold shiver ease up her spine, the full terror of what happened coming to light.

Why did he drug her? Why did he just..._inject_ her like that, and then do nothing? Or did he do something? Penny had several terrifying thoughts of what might of happened, even some less than pleasant things. What was the purpose of drugging her? She couldn't think of any reason that he would. Did he just...forget to take her with him or something?

Penny couldn't believe that she had forgotten about this. She couldn't believe that she wasn't more suspicious of the so-called bugbites on her neck. She should have realized that something was up with them. She knew her mother felt the same way. Her mother looked like she could kick herself in the fact for not noticing something wrong with her daughter, being a vet and all. Penny wanted to reassure her mother, but at the moment, she was too frozen in shock to say anything for a while.

Then her mother made another chilling discovery. After she had taken some blood from her to run a test, Penny started to scratch the back of her neck. When her mom noticed, Penny was forced to tell her that, ever since the incident with Von, she occassionally had an itch there, and thought it was just another bugbite. Now knowing just what Von did to her daughter, her mom insisted on having it looked at.

Penny felt the tension in the room rise when she brought out some kind of...weird device. She had seen her mom use it before, and she was familiar with its functions. She just never could remember the name of it. She held still as her mom moved it up and down her body slowly, the two prongs at the end close to her. After a few moments, her mother had found something.

She had a tracking device in her...

Penny could hardly believe it. Even when her mother confirmed it verbally, even though the device couldn't be wrong, she found it hard to digest. She looked over at Rudy, who was just as horrified as she was about this whole thing. Penny had been injected with a tracking device... She felt her heart rate speeding up. Was...was Von...?

Penny sat down on her bed, her fingers interlocking together. After the uncomfortable conversation they all had about what Von might be doing, Penny was sent up to her room. Rudy was told to go with as well. After what happened with her, her mother didn't want Rudy to also fall victim, or a chance that Von would get her again as well.

She turned her gaze towards the door. She could hear soft speaking from outside. Her mother was speaking with Rudy's aunt about this new piece of information. They were likely talking about calling the police, although Penny didn't know how they were going to prove what happened.

She hadn't spoken a word since they had gotten into the room, and neither did Rudy. They were both silent, each in their own thoughts. Penny occassionally looked at Rudy, seeing his eyes furrowed as he was clearly thinking as hard as she could about this. Penny herself, her mind was a raging whirlpool of thoughts. It was hard...no, impossible to relax.

Von putting a tracking device in her... What could this be implying...? Why would he do that? The only thing that she knew was that he wanted to prove perpetual motion. But how would he do that if he merely tagged her? Did he think that she was going to lead him to some new, great place?

"_It was you_..."

Penny jerked at this. She turned her head towards Rudy, her eyes widened. She almost never hears Rudy speak in that tone of voice. From that alone, she could tell just how angry and serious he was being.

"Rudy, I..." Penny was confused. She tilted her head. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Rudy didn't look at her. He kept staring off to the side. His body was stiff, rigid. "_You were the one who led him to ChalkZone_..."

"What...?" Penny felt ice shoot through her veins. "No, Rudy...I..."

"Don't you _lie_ to me, Penny!" Rudy's body started to shake, anger radiating off of him like smoke. "You had the tracker. He had the device. He tracked you down. You led him to ChalkZone. You're..._you're_ the reason he has that portal..."

"We don't know if he has the portal, Rudy!" Penny protested. "Remember, your aunt said that she sold it to Terry and..."

"...and some old guy, who may have been Doctor Von Doktor!" Rudy snapped. He shot her a glare, his pupils shrinking into dots. "They have the portal now, Penny! They can get into ChalkZone! They are the ones who captured Blocky!" Penny wasn't sure how he could be so certain. There was no proof that he was kidnapped. "And it's all _your_ fault!"

Penny snapped her head back, staring at Rudy. Disbelief swept through her as she stared at her friend. Rudy was glaring at her, his face filled with hostility. The loook in his eyes, it was chillingly familiar. When Michelle seemed to forget to invite her and Rudy to her party, Rudy had just _snapped_. And now, that same expression was back.

Penny looked left and right, trying to think of something to say to calm down her friend. She raised her hands up, moving them slowly in front of her back and forth. "Now Rudy..take it easy.. Let's think rationally about this. Maybe..."

"Think rationally?! Oh that's _good_! You should have thought of that when you _led them to ChalkZone_! Where was your thinking _then_?!" Rudy shouted at her.

Penny took in a few quick breaths. "Rudy, please..."

But Rudy wasn't done yet. His voice tinged with anger, he continued, "You know what else? I'm sure that you going into ChalkZone from your place and coming over to mine showed Von that an _alternate dimension does exist_!"

Penny narrowed her eyes slightly. "I doubt he could even get a signal, Rudy..."

"_Oh so you admit it_?!" Rudy barked at her. Penny's eyes widened at this accusation. "You were _aware_ that you had a tracker in your neck and you did _nothing_ about it?!"

"_No_! I didn't say _that_ at all!" Penny cried.

"Then what _were_ you going to say?!" Rudy snarled at her.

"Rudy, look...I know what it might seem like... But I swear to you, I didn't know about the tracker!" Penny told him. She hoped that Rudy would listen to reason, but somehow, she had a feeling that he would not. "Please, Rudy. You have to calm down! We're not going to be able to figure anything out if you continue snapping at me like this!"

Rudy snorted at her. He glared harshly at her for a few seconds. Then, after a few moments of silence, he said darkly, "To think..our problems could have been reduced if you hadn't been so...so _stupid_!"

Penny gasped at this statement. Anger rising up inside of her, she pointed a finger at him and said, "You _don't know that_, Rudy! Blocky may still have been captured..if he was at all! You don't know if things would have been better or not!"

"And what if they were? What if Blocky had been able to stay in the room with Sophie? What if he wasn't dragged out at all? I'm sure that your little stunt helped Von believe in this place, and if he's working with Ms. Bouffant..." He ground his teeth, making Penny wince. A low growl eminated from his mouth. "Face it, Penny... Had you just been more careful, or actually used that big brain of yours, _none of this_ would have happened!"

"It wasn't my fault, Rudy! And besides, what about _you_?!" Penny called back to him. At this, Rudy fell silent, his body stiffening at Penny's accusation. "You were the one who _left the portal open_! You were the one who left the fucking portal open! If anything, you're more responsible than me!" Rudy's eyes widened at this. "If you hadn't left it open, then even if Von and Ms. Bouffant got the chalkboard, they'd still have no portal! If anyone is to blame, it's _you_!"

Rudy stared at her in shocked silence. He then narrowed his eyes, letting out a soft growl. Penny snarled at him, and they bore their eyes into each other. The tension in the air increased as their bodies began to shake in rhythmn to their intense emotions. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. They didn't make a move to each other, didn't say a word. They just..stared, as if this was some kind of dominance display.

Then something tore them from their thoughts.

"Settle down, you two." Penny's mom said as she moved into the room quickly. The two children leaned back in surprise as the skinny woman got in between them, staring at them with a disappointed expression. "I'm surprised with you two. You're supposed to be friends and I know you can act more civil with each other than this." She folded her arms against her chest. "Perhaps Tilly and I _should_ separate you two for a while."

Rudy and Penny lowered their heads in shame. Penny felt a pang of guilt for letting her anger get the better of her. She lifted up her head and looked over at Rudy. She was about to speak her apologies when her mother cut her off.

"Rudy, head down the stairs. Your aunt is waiting for you." Her mother said. Rudy hesitated, glancing over at Penny. "_Now_, Rudy." Her mom put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. "She wants to see you as soon as possible." She flicked her head. "So get moving."

Penny and Rudy locked eyes with each other for a couple of seconds. For a moment, Rudy glared at Penny, making the girl cringe. The boy turned and walked away, heading out of the room. Penny was about to go after him when her mother put a hand out in front, stopping her.

"Mom..." Penny stared to say. "It's not fair..."

"Penny, you can see Rudy later. This is not going to be a permanent thing." Her mother said. She grabbed onto her daughter and forced her back onto the bed. "And right now, we still more important matters on our hands."

"You're saying Rudy's not important?" Penny asked, her eyes narrowing.

Her mother shook her head. "No, it's not like that." With a concerned expression she continued, "Look, Penita... I'm just worried about you. That tracker..." She bit her lip, a flash of horror going through her eyes. "And I still haven't told you my verdict on ChalkZone."

Penny fell silent.

Her mother lowered her head and gave a soft sigh. "I thought about it. And my decision is..."


	17. Suspicions

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 17: Suspicions

_**Third rule: uncertainty of a friend is not easy, but sometimes necessary.**_

sss

Rapsheeba bit her lip, her eyes gazing out towards the horizon before her. She stood on the very edge of ChalkZone City. She ignored the bustling of the zoners behind her, feeling thoughts filling her head, threatening to make it explode. Things hadn't been shaping up as well as they could be, and her worry and tension did nothing but increase since the other day.

She had led a large search party the other day. Countless zoners had joined her, along with Snap, to find Blocky. They had scowered all the lands nearby, and thoroughly searched around the city. No nook was overlooked. No crack skimmed over. Rapsheeba felt as though the search took hours..and in fact it did. From noon to evening, the zoners did nothing but search, some even neglecting their own needs to find their missing friend, as well as the threat to their livelihood: _the portal_.

The search, however, had turned up empty, much to their horror. They had searched a large many mile radius in all directions. Many zoners showed signs of wear and tear afterwards, collapsing on the ground and groaning in pain and exhaustion. Some drank many cups of water to replenish themselves and others just passed out entirely. And for their efforts, they had come up with nothing. No sign of their friend and no evidence of a portal. This naturally horrified them all.

Well most of them. A handful of zoners were skeptical and wondered if there was even a portal at all. They thought that the other zoners were being overly cautious and said that Blocky was probably _so stupid_, he went to the other side of ChalkZone to find home. They ignored the scorn they got from those who were Blocky's friends and went off on their own, claiming they had better things to do with their time than waste it looking for some '_green loser_' or something.

Rapsheeba was furious with them, but she didn't dwell on it much. Those zoners don't really deserve any time or attention right now. What mattered more is that there were plenty more zoners who were willing to search, even if some of them were only doing so because of the portal issue.

She had led a quick search this morning when some of the zoners had woken up. They double checked in areas they had already been and then spread out their search radius a little more. They wandered in the outskirts of the land, in areas they never been, in hopes of finding any sign of the portal or Blocky. But just like before, they had no such luck.

Rapsheeba did her best to control the anxious feelings rising up inside of her. She knew no good was going to come from getting worked up. She tried to keep herself calm so she wouldn't lose her rational side.

But she didn't know how long she was going to be able to keep it up. As time passed, the horror of what could happen kept clinging in the back of her head, creeping up her neck and chilling her to the bone. Everyone knew the consequences of Blocky being in the Real World, or even just the portal existing at all. And the zoners most affected...

...were the ones who were old enough to remember..._those days_...

Rapsheeba knew little of these days as she had been lucky to have been created long after the problem was taken care of. Most of the elder zoners don't want to talk about it, and remained mum on the issue. It wasn't until she met Rudy, Penny, and Snap that she had learned the story.

According to Rudy, there was a time when creators were allowed into ChalkZone more freely. But they were out of control and created things at random. The kids likely didn't realize the zoners were truly alive and just did whatever they wanted to, leaving the zoners to clean up the mess. It was a quick description, but it was enough for Rapsheeba to realize just how truly _terrifying_ a time that might have been. No wonder the older zoners were nervous.

And to think it might happen _again_... Rapsheeba was told that, back then, it had just been kids coming into ChalkZone and thus were easier to kick out, as most kids don't really have much ambition to do worse than 'draw whatever they wanted to'.

_But adults_...

Rapsheeba heard some sentiments from zoners that adults would be harder to take care of. They might not have the same level energy as children, but they had more intelligence and experience. They had the means and the will and the desire for more direct domination and control. At least some of them. If a human with the intention to take them over were to come, then they would be powerless to stop them.

Rapsheeba could only hope that the portal was found quickly, before it was too late. It was one thing to kick out children. But how would they kick out adults, who, from what she was told, could be a rather stubborn bunch?

Hearing a noise to her side, the female zoner turned her head to see what was going on. In the distance, she could see a small shape moving through the city. She was about to look away and shrug it off as nothing to concern herself with, but she noticed the zoner looked familiar. Her eyes widened when she was able to identify him.

"Howdy...?" She whispered in a soft voice.

The puppet didn't seem to take notice of her. He was holding something in his hands. A bag of some kind. Not a burlap one like in the movies, but a plastic one, as if he had just finished shopping or something. He was looking left and right nervously, biting his lip. Occassionally some of the zoners would appear to ask what was wrong, and whatever Howdy told them, it was enough to deter the zoners into not asking more questions.

Rapsheeba couldn't help but feel a burning sensation in her stomach. Not of anger, but of suspicion. Something just seemed..off about how her friend was behaving. It wasn't all that dramatic; he acted nervous before, like with upcoming performances. But it looked as if he was trying to slip away somewhere without being seen. He was moving through the crowd at an astonishing rate, his eyes focusing intently on something out in front of him. Unable to just stand around and do nothing, Rapsheeba followed him.

She kept out of his sight the best she could, keeping herself in the shadow and along the buildings and moving through the crowds. She watched as Howdy was going towards the edge of the city, which made following him easier. Rapsheeba merely had just one direction to go, and at this rate, she should cut him off soon.

Once Howdy reached the edge of the city, he paused and looked left and right. Rapsheeba hid as well as she could, narrowly missing getting spotted. The puppet zoner, once satisfied with knowing, or rather, believing, that no one was following him, he looked down at his bag. He rummaged through it, and, after a moment, tied it up and headed away from the city.

Rapsheeba recognized this route as being the one that led to his place that he lived in. This would explain why none of the zoners were overtly suspicious. Plus, he was kind of pretty well known and he never really acted in a threatening way before.

Rapsheeba wanted to dismiss it as just Howdy getting his groceries and just being nervous for an upcoming performance. But she couldn't bring herself to do that. She was completely unable to, her mind focused intently on the small zoner. She _hated_ feeling suspicious of her friend, but she just couldn't help herself. Staring at the retreating zoner for a few moments, she took in a deep breath and she started to follow him.

At first, the route the zoner took almost seemed like it was the right way. She had only gone to this place once, so she might be remembering it all wrong. She continued to follow the small zoner, doing her best to keep a distance from him so he wouldn't realize he was being tracked down.

It wasn't until about half way there that Rapsheeba began to realize this _wasn't_ the way to the zoner's house. She wasn't sure when it happened, but at some point, they had gotten turned around. She wondered at first if Howdy forgot which way to go, but that couldn't be it. He knew the way to his own house quite well. So..what was going on here? Where was the zoner headed, if not back to his own place?

Rapsheeba tried to continue following the zoner. She tried to keep up the pace, even as the zoner went through the jungle, and the vines kept tripping her up. It became harder and harder to follow the zoner, and she wound up lagging further and further behind. The paths he was taking, the obstacles that he inadvertantly forced her through, it was starting to add up and soon Howdy was pretty far into the distance.

She didn't want to do it, but she had to no choice. She had to start running if she wanted to regain some ground. Despite the thick vines in front of her, Rapsheeba pushed herself forward. She ran as fast as she could, pushing through the vines and snapping them as she moved through them. She wound up tripping again, letting out a small cry as she did so.

In horror, she realized her mistake. Turning her gaze to here Howdy was, she saw that he had stopped and was looking around for the noise. Rapsheeba widened her eyes and she immediately hid behind one of the tall trees. She was glad, in that moment, that she had fallen behind. From back here, Howdy could not hear her racing heart, or the loud breathing coming from her mouth. She didn't dare look until several moments had passed. Even then, she hesitated, worried that Howdy had spotted her, or would see her if she dared to look. It took all her courage to force herself to look out from behind the tree.

She could see Howdy still standing there. Thankfully, he wasn't looking in her direction. He appeared to be examining the contents of his bag again. This time, he wasn't as careful as he was before. Clearly believing that he was alone, she watched as she took out one of its contents.

Confusion gripped her head. _A sandwich_? Howdy was cautious _over a sandwich_? Normally, this would relieve her and she could just go back to her business. But no, something was wrong here. Why would Howdy be so nervous about carrying around a sandwich? And was that a drink there? And..._medicine_...?

Many thoughts raced through the zoner's head. What was Howdy up to? Why would he need to bring all that stuff here? Determined to find out, she crept closer, doing what she could to keep herself hidden in the shade of the trees. With Howdy holding still, she was able to get much closer to him, and soon Howdy was on the move again, with her following.

Soon, they ended up in the open field again. This filled the female zoner with tension. This was when she was the most vulnerable; if Howdy were to turn around now, she would be caught red-handed.

But Howdy never did look back. Now, more than ever, he seemed filled with determination to get to his destination. He had quickened the pace a little, forcing her to compensate. The puppet zoner moved across the field, looking around for something, his movements increasing in vigor. This filled Rapsheeba's mind with questions, the most prominent being: _where was he going in such a hurry_?

She soon got her answer. The puppet zoner suddenly came to a stop. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she managed to keep herself from falling forward. She tilted her head up and her eyes widened in horror. She recognized this place. The place was erased without a name, so it never got an official title. Most zoners had been calling it the Pencil Sharpener, mainly due to the structures being so _sharp_ that one could use it like said machine. She winced, imagining the sharp edges _hacking off a piece of her skin_.

Why would Blocky come here? This would be the last place someone like him should be. He could easily get rippd to shreds in there. Even if she couldn't see his face, she could tell he was scared to enter it as well. Still, the zoner did not hesitate as much as she thought, and he wandered straight in. Her heart skipping a beat, she followed close behind him.

At first, it was pretty easy keeping up with the zoner without getting spotted. Rapsheeba did her best to ignore the knicks she got from some of the edges around here, and managed to avoid stepping into any of the..._less inviting_ areas. Howdy was making his way through pretty quickly, suggesting that he knew where he was going, like he had been here before or something.

Soon, however, it began to get more difficult. The zoner began to trudge through some more complicated areas. The ledges got skinnier and narrower. The safe areas were fewer and far between. Most areas no longer even had a sturdy tree branch for her to hang onto just in case. Each time she took a step, she had to exercise more and more caution, allowing Howdy to get further in front of her.

Then she slipped up. She stepped down on a gooey part of the ground. A loud hissing sound, louder than usual, and her foot got stuck part way. She tugged at her leg, grunting in frustration. Though she freed her leg, she soon stumbled backwards and hit against one of the sharp edges. She emitted a loud scream as her lower back was lacerated, feeling blood dripping down her back. She managed to stand herself up again, but by then, it was too late.

Howdy was looking at her. They locked eyes with one another. The puppet looked competely shocked, his eyes unable to tear away from her. They remained like this, staring at one another, silent, unmoving.

Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, Rapsheeba attempted to reason with the puppet zoner. "Howdy... I just want to..."

Howdy's face paled, and he looked all around him, as if he expected something to happen. He turned back and stared at Rapsheeba. He spoke in a low, haunting voice. "_You shouldn't have come. Please...leave_..."

"Howdy, _what_ is going on?" Rapsheeba said. She took a step forward, making Howdy cringe and take a step back.

"_Please just go_..." Howdy pleaded with her.

Rapsheeba gave him a sympathetic expression. "Please Howdy... Whatever is going on..I want to help... Please just..." She took a step closer.

"_Just go away_!" Cried Howdy before he turned and ran off.

Her eyes widening, Rapsheeba started to run after him. She struggled to catch up with him, shouting at him to stop. She kept tripping over everything, getting herself more cut up in the process. She didn't stop, however. Each time she fell down, she would just get back up again and run after him.

She was soon almost upon him. The singer prepared herself to lunge at him, spreading out her arms. She hoped that, by tackling him and forcing him to stay in one place, she can figure out what he was doing.

But she never got that far.

Howdy grabbed onto one of the longer, sharper branches. He pulled it back as far as he could. Rapsheeba's eyes widened when she realized what was about to happen. She tried to get away, but it was too late. With an apologetic look in his eyes, Howdy released the branch and it slammed against the singer's chest, sending her flying backwards. Rapsheeba grunted in pain as she tumbled across the ground, and soon landed on her side, one arm crossed over the other. She shook her head and looked at where Howdy was.

_He was gone_. She looked around, trying to see any sign of him or where he could have gone. But he was nowhere here anymore. He had just vanished.

Rapsheeba let out a groan of pain as she sat herself up, feeling warm blood pool from the new injuries she had recieved. She looked at one of her gashes and, though it wasn't terribly deep, she still flinched at the sight of them. She turned her attention back to where Howdy had disappeared in.

What was going on? Why did Howdy run off like that? Why did he knock her away? These questions and more filled her mind. In pursuing the puppet, she had managed to only bring more questions to herself. Questions that she would not rest until they were answered.

sss

Snap stared at Rapsheeba, his eyes wide in shock. It took all his strength to look away from her to take a small bite of his sandwich. He chewed slowly, carefully, swallowing with little force. Then he turned his gaze back towards her. He found a hard time coming to terms, or understanding, what Rapsheeba had said.

It had been a few minutes since she had arrived. Well more like twenty. She had been startled, her face pale, almost like she had seen a ghost. In fact, Snap was about to ask if she found more smudged zoners when she had grabbed onto him and told him about what she had witnessed in the Pencil Sharpener. Snap was horrified that Rapsheeba had gone there and asked her why she would risk her life in such a dangerous place. When he had been informed of what happened, he was left unsure of what to think.

He had no idea why Howdy would go there. Most zoners stayed away and for good reason. Despite the fact that it was a relatively new place, it had already gained such a _heinous_ reputation. He would have thought that Howdy was smart enough to stay away.

But according to Rapsheeba, he had gone there. _Willingly_, on top of that. No one had chased him in there. Judging from what she had seen, it had been a deliberate act. Howdy had wanted to go there, with a bag of food and water and medicine, too. And the way he had _chased away Rapsheeba_, injuring her in the process... This did _not_ sound like the Howdy he knew. If he didn't hear this from Rapsheeba, he wouldn't have believed it himself.

Why would Howdy go there? Why would he carry around a bag of food and be cautious about it? Why didn't he want anyone to follow him? Why did he knock away Rapsheeba? What was going on here?

Some of the zoners nearby who overheard started to wonder themselves. Snap tried to block out their qustions, but it was difficult. He could hear them asking about Howdy's motivations, some wondering if he had anything to do with what happened, others stating crazy theories.

The idea of Howdy being the culprit shot ice through his veins. He didn't want to think that his own friend, a creation of Rudy's, would do such a thing. That didn't seem at all like Howdy, and Rudy would never create something with malicious intentions. At least, not with out a little..._help_.

Despite his reservations against the idea of Howdy being responsible, he found it hard to really defend him. He couldn't think of any alternative ideas to why he would go all the way out there. It was just so against his character and what he knew about him. It just didn't seem like him to go to a dangerous place, guarding a bag of food and such. And for him to deliberately knock Rapsheeba down... Considering his non-violent stance, that was definitely out of character for him.

Try as he might, Snap just couldn't think of anything. Except what the others were suggesting... No, he couldn't think like that. He shook his head once, trying to get those nasty thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't accuse his friend of any wrong doing. There had to be a logical explanation. There had to be something to explain Howdy's behavior that _didn't_ ultimately paint him as the bad guy.

But..._what could it be_?

All around him, he could still hear the voices of some of the more vocal zoners express their opinion. He found it harder and harder to ignore them, especially when their volume increased.

"I think he's working with whoever has that portal. I mean, why else would he disappear?" One zoner suggested.

Another said, "Maybe _he_ is the one who took Blocky. He might not have any kind of portal, but maybe he hid Blocky in there. That would explain the food and water."

A third shook her head. "I don't know why he'd want to kidnap that loser anyway. Not like Blocky was a threat to him at all."

"Well he was chased by a dog in the Real World and pretty much killed. Maybe he was psychologically _scarred_ and it's just _finally_ starting to show through." A fourth male zoner said.

Snap shot a glare in their direction. None of the zoners paid attention to him. He watched as the small group continued their discussion, each making a more outlandish accusation than the last.

A pang of worry tugged at his heart. He hoped that this wasn't going to be the start of a gossip brigade against Howdy. He hoped that they would at least give him the benefit of the doubt and not make any wild accusations to him. Howdy should at least be given the opportunity to speak and explain his actions. Certainly, there had to be a good reason for why he did this.

He turned to look at Rapsheeba. A bit of anger rose up inside of him as he looked at the wounds that adorned her body. They weren't bad, but the fact that they were _bleeding_... The blood dripping down one of her more severe wounds mimicked the warmth that moved through his arms and legs.

He sure hoped that Howdy had a good expanation for all of this. _For his sake_.

"What do you think is the best course of action, Snap?" Rapsheeba asked.

Snap stared at her in surprise, not expecting such a question. He hesitated for a moment, trying to think of an answer. _Good question_... What should they do about this? It was obvious action needed to be taken but...how should they go about this?

He would feel awful accusing his friend like that, and he wanted to avoid it. Yet he knew he needed to confront him regardless of how he felt. Howdy wouldn't be able to deny it; Rapsheeba could vouch for him. She had the marks to prove it. If Howdy lied about it... No, he wouldn't lie. That wasn't like him. But if they tried to confront him, what if he were to run away? He didn't want to waste time chasing him. He was a slippery little guy after all.

But there was one another option they could take. It would be easier than trying to run after him. It would enable them to trap him with nowhere to go without any need to be rough with him. But if he was going to pull it off, he needed to be selective about who to bring. He did not want a fight to be started.

"We go to his house." Snap said after a few more moments of ponderous silence. "We hide and wait for him to come home. Once he is, we trap him." He slammed a fist against his palm. "I'm not sure how yet, but I'll think of something. It will be easier trapping him in his own home than chasing him outside, that's for sure."

Rapsheeba furrowed her eyes slightly. "_Trap_ him...?"

Snap realized how that must have sounded and he backtracked a little. "Well what I mean by that is... well, we can't have him trying to escape. You saw what he did, remember? You tried to speak with him and he freaked out and ran. We need to deprive him of that option. Then..." His eyes narrowed in determination. "We can get him to talk. We need to know what is going on, and if this has anything to do with the portal..._or Blocky_..."

"I know... It would be awful if he were hiding such information." Rapsheeba said, nodding her head in agreement. "I do hope that we won't have to expect the worse from him."

"Same here..." Snap said, his voice trailing off.

It was hard to imagine his friend doing anything hostile like that, and he still wanted to believe the best of Howdy. In the end, though, the only way to find out was to talk to him. If they have to trap him in his own home and interrogate him...then they will have to do it. Even if it killed him on the inside.

Hearing some of the things the zoners were saying, Snap couldn't help but turn to glare at thim, his lip raising up. It was going to be difficult discussing anything here. He was glad that none of the zoners appeared to hear what they were saying, but he didn't want to take that risk. The last thing he wanted was for any of these foul-mouthed zoners to show up.

Looking back at Rapsheeba, he said, "Let's meet at my place. I don't think it'll be a good idea to continue our discussion here out in the open." He casted a worried glance left and right. "Let's go somewhere more..._private_."

"Agreed." Rapsheeba said as she finished up her drink.

Without saying another word, the two zoners threw away what remained of their food and drink and they headed out of the restaurant. They did their best to ignore the comments some of the zoners were saying about Howdy. They both hoped that, in time, the truth would be revealed.

sss

"Are you sure this is a good idea...?" Whispered a small, meek zoner. He fumbled his hands together nervously, giving his companion a worried look. "I mean, it's probably better off if we just..."

"_Oh hush up_!" Snarled his companion, the same female zoner who had doubted Howdy's involvement with Blocky's kidnapping. "We're lucky that they didn't see us following them, and we have come this far, so quit your _belly aching_ and _follow me_!"

The meek zoner did as he was told. With a few quick nods, he slunk closer to her, keeping his body low, a submissive posture. The female, larger, and clearly more aggressive, with even her eyes glowing in dominance, towered over him. She glared at him as she waited for him to get closer. Only when he was inches away from her side did she continue on.

The two zoners had been careful not to get spotted by Rapsheeba or Snap. They had overheard parts of their conversation, and when Snap had mentioned wanting to talk it out _alone_... Well, the meek zoner thought it was just a private matter, but the more dominant zoner had her suspicions and was rather curious.

After all, if this matter had to do with Howdy, and what he potentially did or didn't do, wouldn't it be much better to just make their intentions known? What could they possibly be hiding? Not that either zoner wanted to think that the two were doing any kind of conspiring. Yet...they didn't want to take the risk.

At least, the female one didn't. The male wanted to avoid the issue. After all, Snap was such a nice zoner and had shown that he was trustworthy. The female, however, felt that something could still go wrong, and merely wanted to keep tabs on them. They wouldn't really be disrupting them or anything. All she wanted was to hear enough information to know what they were planning so she could inform the zoners in case it was something rather..._suspicious_.

Snap's house was up ahead. They were almost there. The two zoners crept closure, being as quiet as they could. They didn't see Snap or Rapsheeba near the window, but that didn't mean that they weren't there, or somehow able to watch them. The female didn't stop regardless, and moved as quickly as she could to one of the bushes. The male froze, unsure. A quick glare from the female prompted him to move.

The two crawled further into the bushes. There wasn't much room. Crowded, so full of branches, poking them. The male ended up being pressed against the female. She snarled at him, baring her teeth, causing him to cringe away, and lower his head in submission. She growled at him for a few more moments before she turned her attention to the nearest window. She leaned forward and peered inside. Able to see what they came here for, she nudged the meek male and got him to look as well.

There was Snap and Rapsheeba. And what luck, their backs were turned to them. As they spoke, they could hear the words being said; the window was open. This made it much easier to understand what was being said. But it also meant that...

After hearing a nervous whimper from the male, the female shot him a glare and hissed, "_Shut up...! We can't have them knowing what we are here_...!"

"Sorry." The male said, keeping his gaze downcast.

The female merely growled at him, and then turned her attention back to the two zoners. She and the male leaned in, waiting to hear exactly what they had to say.

sss

Snap looked at the list that Rapsheeba just wrote. She took a bit of time writing it, having to pause to think for a moment, tapping the side of her face with the pen. She then handed it to him, finally allowing him to see the words she had put on the paper.

Snap skimmed through the list. It wasn't too long. A part of him was disappointed, but another was glad. Too long of a list might have complicated things, now that he thought about it. After a moment, he turned his head to Rapsheeba.

"These are the people you decided should come?" He asked.

Rapsheeba nodded. "Yeah. They could be trusted with this. They know Blocky pretty well, and they wouldn't think ill of Howdy."

"Yeah, that's true." Snap looked through the list again. "Some of these are even from people who love his work. They would be hard pressed to think that he was doing anything bad." Snap set the list down on the table. "But are you _sure_ that they are all good choices?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you put down _Butch_. No offense, Rapsheeba, but I think he'd be one of the last people we should turn to for help. If not for his disgruntled nature or the fact that he likes to _beat up_ everyone in sight, then for his dimwitted personality. He's not exactly the brightest bulb in the block."

Snap flinched when he said that, remembering what happened the last time he had insulted Butch. He looked from side to side, only relaxing when he realized he was in the comfort of his own home. He let out a sigh of relief, but he still remained tense, knowing what could happen to him if Butch just so happened to find out what he had said about him.

He looked back at the list. There weren't too many zoners here he didn't know, though most he hardly really spoke to. Lars and Bathtub Granny were a few of the ones he had seen more regularly. And for some reason, the shark was on here. Wasn't he restricted to a tank? Well, maybe they could tie him up on the rope or something and have him dangle... Oh that sounded _stupid_. He scratched that idea out of his head.

But those were just minor complaints that he had. He could just simply remove the zoners that he felt would not work and just gather the ones that would. They didn't need too many zoners. They needed some able-bodied ones stationed outside, and then just a couple in the house. They could all round up on him once they have Howdy trapped in the house.

"I know how you might feel about Butch..." Rapsheeba said. Snap nodded his head slowly, a frown spreading across his face. That was an understatemeent. "But he might be a good pick for this. He is large and strong. His size alone may be enough to block the main entrance at the very least. We do need at least one muscle zoner in on this, in case Howdy tries to..."

"He's not that big, though." Snap pointed out. "He wouldn't be that difficult to hold onto once he's caught." He rubbed his hand on the underneath of his chin. "What we need is a zoner who is fast. Someone who could catch him with no problem. Someone like..."

"Like you."

Snap looked over at Rapsheeba. "_Huh_?"

Rapsheeba smiled at him. "Well you are pretty fast on your feet, Snap. You could easily out pace Howdy I'm sure."

Snap thought about this. Rapsheeba did make a good point. He was pretty quick. Not the fastest zoner for sure, but she was right. He could easily catch up to Howdy if he tried hard enough. And he wasn't too large, so he didn't have to worry as much about accidentally hurting him. Not like Butch, who would most likely _crush_ the poor guy _to death_. Yeah, he was liking Rapsheeba's suggestion.

"Well that takes care of that then." Snap said, making a mental note of that. He folded the piece of paper in his hands and pushed it into his pocket. "Now we just need to round up those zoners and see if they are willing to help us. Then we can assign them spots and we just wait for Howdy."

"When?" Rapsheeba looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. "Do you think that we should wait an hour or two?"

Snap shook his head. "The sooner we do this, the _better_." He held his hand out. "We don't know when Howdy is coming back. It's best that we get this...trap..." He disliked the bitter taste on his tongue when he said that word. "...ready as quickly as possible. I don't know how long we will end up waiting, but it'll be worth it in the end." Noticing Rapsheeba's uncertain frown, Snap smiled, trying to reassure the zoner the best that he could. "Come on, it'll work. Trust me. I'm sure Howdy won't be gone that long."

Rapsheeba folded her arms against her chest. "I hope that we don't end up scaring the living daylights out of him..."

Snap looked at her sympathetically. "Yeah... I hate surprising Howdy like this and trying to catch him..." He frowned softly, memories of what Rapsheeba told him flooding back. "But he has _a lot_ to answer to. If he isn't going to tell us willingly, then we will force it out of him."

Rapsheeba nodded solemnly, saying not a word. The two friends stared at each other in silence, both realizing just what they were being forced into. The idea of trapping a friend was not something they felt comfortable with, and wished they could avoid it. But with what was going on... They had to figure out what that zoner was up to. If there was a possibility that Howdy was being _forced_ into something against his will...they _had_ to know about it.

But first and foremost, they would have to get Howdy first. With other zoners already getting suspicious, Snap knew that they had to get him before they do. The other zoners may not be as kind with him, and possibly more forceful. They might even end up getting false information out of Howdy if they weren't good enough at proper interrogation.

Glancing up at the clock, he turned back to Rapsheeba and got up out of his chair. "Let's get going, Queeny. We need to find these zoners on the list." He lifted up the piece of paper in his hands and slapped his hand against it. "Hopefully we can talk them into helping us."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they will." Rapsheeba said.

Snap smiled at her. But worry still filled his gut. He hoped that his friend was right.

sss

A twinkle flashed in the female zoner's eye. She kept staring through the window, using the bush to keep herself hidden. She and the meek male hadn't turned their gaze away during this whole time. Though both were cramped and sore from standing still for so long, it was worth it to get this inside information.

"So... They want to interrogate the little bugger..." She spoke, her voice dripping with authority. "I'm surprised that they didn't ask _me_ to come. _I would have been perfect_!" She slapped herself in the chest.

"Well, they probably didn't because you're too..." The meek male started to say. He was silenced when the dominant female lowered her head towards him and let out a loud hiss. He put his arm over his head and whimpered, "_I'm sorry! I'm sorry_!"

The female glared at him. She watched as he shivered in fright, looking like he was just about to pee himself. Only then did she look away. Keeping herself sttraightened up in a clear show of dominance, she grabbed onto the male and thrust him forward. The male stumbled, and eventually managed to regain his footing.

"_Come on_!" The female zoner barked. "We _have_ to relay this information to the others!"

The male stood, looking over his shoulder and staring at her, shivering. He gulped and nodded his head. He hunched his body lower when she walked up to him. She stood beside him, staring down at him with a single eye. He cringed away, averting full on direct eye contact, save for a quick upward glance. "Y-Yes m-m-ma'am..."

Without another word, the two zoners turned and fled from the house. They didn't bother stopping and looking behind them. Right now, speed was of importance. They had to get back and tell the others what they found out. If Snap needed help in catching this guy, then some would be more than happy to oblige.

Neither of them really thought that Howdy was up to no good. But both, even the meek male who may not show it, were offended that he wasn't speaking up, that he might be hiding something that they all needed to know. If he knew who took Blocky, by any chance, then they all deserved to know. After all, any of them could become the next target.

And neither of them, especially not the dominant female of the pair, was about to go down that easily. These kidnappers want a fight, then she will tear out their throats.

sss

Howdy felt _awful_ about the whole thing. He kept his head low as he continued to walk, his mind flashing back to what had transpired not too long ago.

He couldn't believe he had just done that. He had knocked Rapsheeba down with one of the sharp branches. He hadn't meant to do that. He just needed away to keep her from following him, and that was the only thing he could think of. He acted on _blindness_, and now that he thought back to what he did, he couldn't help but feel his stomach churn. Poor Rapsheeba... She must be so hurt and confused by what he had done...

But he didn't have a choice. He needed to make sure that she didn't follow him. He didn't want himself to get hurt, nor did he want her to get dragged into it. He had no idea how Terry or Von would have reacted to him bringing in another zoner. Would they decide to _experiment on her next_? Would they _kill her_ to ensure that there would be _no_ witnesses?

Either way, it send a cold shiver down his spine. He didn't want any of the other zoners caught up in this. He had put himself into this position because he had been stupid. He went to a place that he knew zoners didn't go to. He had been asking for trouble. This was his own fault.

Now, he had no choice but to do what they said. It wasn't just his own life he was worried about. If that had been the case, then it would be easier for him to back out. No, the reason he keeps going is for Blocky's sake. He didn't like the idea of helping to prolong his pain by helping him get fed and get something to drink, but he also didn't want him to die. At least in this way, he was helping to increase the amount of time that the others had to find him.

He bit his lip. He hoped that Blocky was doing okay. He hadn't exactly been allowed to see him. Neither of the adults would take him to him, and they didn't really fully explain what he had gone through. This did little to comfort him, the unknown wrapping around his head, filling him with images of what might be doing on.

He shook the chilling thoughts out of his head as he focused on walking through the building. He thought back to Von's instructions of where to go. The sensation of being back in the Real World send ice through his body, and he kept looking around cautiously, looking for any sign of a dog or other large animal. _And the silence_...it was almost thunderous in how thick it was. It was as if this place was dead, a ghost town, and he had been unfortunate enough to wander straight into it.

He froze in his tracks when he heard a loud howl shoot throug the air, ringing in his ears. _Blocky_...? The small zoner was tempted to rush forward, but he stopped himself, realizing that there were cameras everywhere. He looked up, eyeing the nearest on in the corner cautiously. Swallowing hard, he continued on his predetermined treck, his heart going out to poor Blocky. _Just what were they doing to him_...?

After forcing himself to continue walking, the small zoner soon ended up at the intended destination. The door was wide open, a faint light mark indicating a pale light. He remained where he was for a few seconds, his hands tightening around the bag he had brought. He licked his lips nervously and then, after a few seconds, he walked in slowly.

"H-Hello..?" Howdy said in a low voice as he stepped into the room, cautiously turning his head from one side to the other. "I-I brought more of the stuff you asked for..."

The room appeared empty at first. He didn't see much in here, save for a table and a chalkboard. The sight of the chalkboard made him freeze, his eyes widening. What he wouldn't give to be home right now...

"So you have come back. Good." A female voice cut through the air. "I thought you had forgotten about us. That would have been a shame, now wouldn't it?"

Howdy froze at the voice. He looked over, his eyes doing another scan of the dusty, mostly dark room. He soon noticed Terry Bouffant, who was positioned in a darker part of the room. She had her arms folded against her chest, sneering down at the zoner as she walked towards him.

It didn't take her long to reach him. Howdy shivered at the massive size difference between them. He knew he was a tiny little thing, but never before had he felt so small. This woman was even taller than Von, making her appear like a giant to him. He wondered if this was how some of the larger zoners feel around Biclops, who was larger than most other zoners.

Not wanting to keep her waiting, he nodded his head quickly and reached out towards her, his hand still gripping the back. "H-Here you go..." He said in a shaky voice.

The red-haired woman's smile broadened at this. "Thank you." There was little honestly in that voice. Howdy had never heard that term used so condenscendingly. The woman seized the bag from him and held it up in the air. She stared at it, peering inside to see its contents. "Good, you remembered everything. And here, I was worried that you might forget."

"How would I _forget_?" Howdy asked.

"You zoners aren't always the _brightest_." Replied the woman coldly. "You could have gotten my words mixed up."

Howdy felt a burning pang at that, but resisted the urge to say anything defiant back at her. He simply lowered his head submissively, hoping that what he got would ultimately satisfy her enough that she and her partner wouldn't see it fit to do anything to him or another zoner.

As the woman rummaged through the stuff, Howdy cringed at another wail of agony echoing through the building. He knew that was Blocky. He easily recognized that voice. His blood ran cold as he realized just how much pain he must be in. Whatever Von was doing to him...it must be horrible. Howdy could feel a tear form in his eyes. What were this monsters doing with him right now? What did Blocky ever do to deserve this? He would glare at Terry right now if he weren't so worried about what she might do in response.

Terry had taken notice to the scream. She, too, looked a bit upset by it, but clearly not for the same reasons as him. She looked more annoyed than anything. And any concern she had was not only not as pronounced as his, but it wasn't geared towards the safety of his friend. More like, she didn't want them to lose their test subject. _The monster_...

"That little brat should try to take it easy. We did all we could for his wounds." Terry grumbled softly. She reached into the bag and pulled out one of the bottles of medicine that Howdy had given her. "Well, this should do the trick."

Howdy tilted his head in confusion at something she said. "You mean that my friend isn't being tortured right now?"

Terry jeered at him, "For _now_ anyway..." Howdy took a step back at that statement. Holding up her hand in a nonchalant way, she said, "Doctor Von Doktor hasn't yet decided on the next experiment. The screams you are hearing are from Blocky not being able to handle the pain from the last experiments." She chuckled and then stared at Howdy intently with one eye. "You should have heard how he sounded before.. _without the medicine_. Oh man, you would have passed out from fear for sure!"

Howdy let out a whimper at this. Whether or not Terry was being truthful didn't matter. He knew that her words were quite possibly true, based on what he had been told. As he heard another scream, he lifted up his head and looked around. He hoped that what the woman was saying was at least partially true. He hated the idea of his already suffering friend being put through more pain and torment just for the sake of these people's curiosity. He hoped that his friend would be, at least for a time, spared the torment of another experiment.

"You can leave now." Terry said as she made a quick motion with her hand.

"What? No other assignment...?" Howdy muttered under his breath, making no attempt to hide the bitterness that he had for her. When Terry glared at him, he whimpered, realizing his mistake. "I-I mean..."

But instead of shouting at him or hurting him like he had expected, the woman merely smiled at him. "Oh you are right. How silly of me..." She set the bag of food, water, and medicine on the table and walked towards the zoner.

Howdy hucnched his shoulders as he adopted something of a defensive stance. He backed away from the woman, giving off a soft whine as she cornered him against the wall. He pressed his back against the hard surface, his body shaking as he turned his head to the side. Terry lowered herself onto one knee, and even then she towered over him very easily, her shadow creeping over his body.

Terry reached over and cupped Howdy's chin. With a dark smile, she said, "You could... do us a _little favor_."

"L-Like what..?" Howdy asked, terrified of the answer.

Terry grinned at him. She put her face close to his. She whispered into his ear, "_Bring us a piece of magic chalk_..."

Howdy's eyes widened in horror at this. "Wh-What..? I-I thought that..."

"I never said we had given up on the magic chalk, you little idiot..." A cold chuckled escaped the woman's throat. "And why are you so upset? I'm only asking for one..." She held up a finger in front of her for emphasis. "It's a really simple request. I'm sure you can think of something." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "After all... Rudy likes to help you guys, right? I'm sure he might give you a piece of you neededi t."

"B-But..he wouldn't... I mean...we zoners can't use it..." Howdy explained.

"Oh that is right. Well...I'm sure you can still figure out something." Terry said, her expression never faltering. "I expect you to bring it to me the next time you bring in the supplies. Whenever we will need them next."

"B-But..." Howdy started to say.

Terry silenced him by grabbing his head and holding his mouth shut. "And if you _don't_ bring us the magic chalk..." She graced a finger along the front of his face, lightly scratching over his right eye. "Well you can still see with _one eye_, right...?"


	18. Deliverances

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 18: Deliverances

_**Unexpectancies can come from anywhere, be they good or bad.**_

sss

"Rudy Tabootie..."

Rudy had his head lowered. His eyes focused on the ground. His mind was going a million miles per hour. He bit his lip, trying to think of what's going to happen now.

_He had blown it_. He shouldn't have left home. He shouldn't have walked all the way to Penny's place. He should have just waited this out and try to talk to his aunt later. Now, he was certain he was going to get punishment for this. There was no way he'd escape this unscathed.

"_Rudy_!"

He jerked at the sudden shout for his name. He straightened himself up and looked at his aunt. He locked eyes with her for a few seconds before he lowered his head again. He interlocked his fingers together, crossing one leg over the other. He tried to fight back the rising bitterness in his stomach, sucking on his lower lip as he could feel his aunt's angered gaze boring straight through him.

They were back at the house. They had arrived a few mintues ago. She had barely spoken to him when he met up with her. Just a few small questions to make sure he was okay, then any worry left her voice after that. She had hardly looked at him when they drove all the way back home, and the tension around them was just as thick as he would expect with a fight against Skrawl.

For a while, it didn't even feel like he was riding with his aunt. It was like a total stranger had replaced her. He had huddled away from her and did his best not to look at her. There was almost nothing but total silence during their ride home.

When they got back, she had dragged him out of the car, her fingers wrapping around his arm, and pushed him into the house. She had herded him into the living room and forced him to sit down.

And here he still was. He hadn't spoken since they got in, and he barely looked up at her. He knew this angered her. He could tell in her voice that she wasn't liking the fact that he wasn't talking. He just couldn't bare to look at her right now. _All that anger that was glowing in her eyes_... It was like a knife being jabbed in his direction if he dared to look.

His attempts at looking away were met with a harsh grip on his chin and being forced to look up at her. He took in a sharp breath when he saw just how close and anger-filled her eyes were now. He dropped open his mouth and his pupils shrank a little. He wanted to try to struggle to get away, but he found he could not. Instead, he remained still, staring into his aunt's eyes.

"_Do you have any idea just what kind of trouble you are in_?" Aunt Tilly said, her voice darker than usual. "_Do you_?!" Rudy flinched, but said not a word, fearing that he would accidentally make things worse if he tried. Aunt Tilly growled at this, pulling her head back from him. "_I told you that you weren't allowed to see Penny until this whole mess was sorted out_!"

_Penny_... At the moment, Rudy could care _less_ if he didn't see her for a while. Mrs. Sanchez was right. It might be best if they stayed away from each other for the time being. He had a feeling that if he saw her now, he would be easily provoked into a physical fight, something he would much rather avoid.

It still boiled his blood just how accusatory Penny was to him. _She_ was the one who led Von and Terry to his place, to ChalkZone. _She_ was the reason that Blocky was captured. She had a _tracker_ in her. Von must have used it to find his place. He must have found out about ChalkZone that way. He had then teamed up with Terry and the two of them took the portal. Had Penny not have that tracker in her, then they wouldn't have had much of a lead, and Blocky and the zoners would have been safe.

_But no_... Penny just had to let herself get caught like that. She had to let herself be taken victim so easily. Where was the strong girl he knew before? Where did all her cunningness go in that instant? If she had just been more alert or at least more suspicious of Von's presence, then they might have been able to stop their plan before it came into fruition.

And the way she had the _gall_ to accuse _him_ of being the one at fault... _How fucking dare she_... True he left the portal open. But he did that before without consequence. This would have been another time when leaving the portal open didn't matter had Penny not been so stupid and actually use her brain like she always did. This was entirely _her fault_.

Aunt Tilly noticed the glare spreading across his face. "You have something you want to tell me?"

Rudy shook his head and looked up at his aunt. "...I was just thinking..."

Aunt Tilly's glare deepened. "I hope it's about what you have done. Rudy, I can't believe you did something so _stupid_!" She turned her head towards the door. "You climbed out of the window and you could have easily slipped and fallen!" She turned her gaze back to Rudy. "Then you walk all way to your friend's house, during which you could have been harmed by that _crazy lunatic_ who put a tracker in Penny!"

Rudy remained silent. He felt a pang in his chest as he realized just how much he had made his aunt worry about him. He also felt a cold chill when he realized he could have been caught off guard as well, like Penny was.

"How could you have been so stupid?! You could have really gotten yourself _badly hurt_ with this _stunt_ that you pulled! Of all the stupid things you've done, Rudy Tabootie, this is the worst!"

Rudy remained quiet for a few moments. He lowered his head, turning it away from his aunt's face. He tried to fight back against the growing emotion in his chest. He wanted anything to get away from here. He shut his eyes tightly, feeling a small tear push against the back of his eye. Slight, but still there. "I'm sorry..."

Aunt Tilly let out a deep sigh and she rubbed her temples. She remained quiet for a few moments. "Look, I..." She made an effort to sound more calm. She lowered her hand to her side, staring down at the boy. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I didn't mean to do it. I'm just..." She released her nephew and took a step back. She lowered herself on her knee and touched Rudy on he shoulder. "I don't want you to get hurt..."

"I know..." Rudy muttered softly.

The woman's expression softened up a little more. "I know that you care about this world, Rudy. And I know you care about your friend..." She seemed to take note of the anger that crossed his face at the mention of Penny. "...regardless of how you might feel about her right now..." Rudy merely lowered his gaze. "But you have to learn to _trust_ me."

Rudy grumbled, "I do..."

His aunt shook her head. "No, you _don't_. If you did, you would have told me about this place before. If you did, you wouldn't have run off to speak with Penny. You would have just stayed put until your folks came back so we can all talk about this as a _family_."

Rudy didn't say a word to that. He kept his gaze averted from his aunt. There was still a tinge of anger in her voice, along with disappointment. She was obviously trying to keep her anger under control, and she was trying to keep herself sounding calm.

Rudy was still unsure of what will happen if his parents found out about ChalkZone. He understood where his aunt was coming from, but at the same time, he knew just how devastating it could be if his parents found out the truth. He wished his aunt would be more reasonable and at least try to better understand why he wanted to keep it secret. She seemed like she was really trying to, but she kept failing. This was part of the reason he did not want any of them to find out.

He couldn't believe that this was happening. For two years, he had managed to keep the world secret from others. For two years, _no one_, with the exception of Penny recently, had been able to get into ChalkZone. Now all that was falling apart before his eyes. All his effort, _all for nothing_.

What were his parents going to do? It was a question he found himself constantly asking in his head. He knew there was no sense in constantly asking himself that as he won't actually know until they found out. But at the same time, it was something he wished would never have to be answered. If only his aunt would just _listen_ to him...

"Rudy, dear..." Aunt Tilly sensed his worry. She gently touched his cheek, making him jolt a little in surprise. He stared at her in surprise, his eyes wide. He said nothing as she lightly stroked his cheek back and forth. "I know you are worried about this. I understand. But please...I'm begging you, talk about this with us. Me and your parents. We only want what's best for you."

"If you did, then you would trust me and leave this alone." Rudy's bitter voice came. "You say I don't trust you... but what about _you_?" His aunt flinched at this. "You say you trust me, and yet when I tell you how safe this world is and why it must be kept secret, you still think that you need to tell my folks about it. Aunt Tilly... _why can't you trust me_?"

"Why don't you trust us?" Came Aunt Tilly's reply.

Rudy bit his lip. "It's not about trust. I..."

Aunt Tilly cut him off. "You keep saying that, but it doesn't change the situation." She moved her hand away from him. She stood up from him, straightening herself out. Rudy could have sworn he heard her back crack in the process. "I'm sorry, Rudy, but I am still keeping with the decision. Your folks will find out about this place. I will tell them."

"I'll just lie. They will think you're crazy." Rudy said quicly without thinking.

Aunt Tilly narrowed her eyes. "Say that, and I will _forbid you from seeing Penny ever again_."

Rudy's eyes widened at this. He then narrowed them slightly. He could tell his aunt was just desperate right now. She couldn't really do that to him. She didn't have that much power over him. He would have called her out on it, but he instead remained quiet, glaring at her.

His aunt apparently took that as some sort of victory. She turned herself away from him and took a few steps away, her back turned to him. She appeared to stare off into the distance for a while, and he guessed her mind must be racing with thoughts. He didn't say a word, waiting for her to say something back at him. He wanted to say something during this time, but he couldn't think of the words to say.

His aunt gave another sigh, more exasperated this time. She turned towards him and came back over. She stood in front of him, locking eyes with him. Her eyes narrowed again and Rudy could feel his heart clench, the rising bile reacting to the returning tension in the air.

Thankfully, it was short-lived. With another forced sigh, and a brief moment of closing her eyes, his aunt reached over and patted him on the head gently.

"Look... why don't you go upstairs and play with Sophie? I can see how much this conversation is stressing you out and honestly..." She rubbed the back of her head. "I could use a bit of a coffee break right now." Rudy looked at her with a perplexed expression. He had not expected that kind of response from her. Before he could say anything, she said, "We can resume this in a bit. I just..need some coffee..."

Rudy didn't want to wait on this. He didn't want to sit in his room and wait for his aunt to say more. He didn't want to delay this any longer. It was about time they had fully settled this, and now his aunt wanted to delay it? No, he wouldn't allow that. "Aunt Tilly..." He said as the woman pulled him up from the couch. "Let's talk about this. _Please_..."

Aunt Tilly ushered him towards the stairs. "We'll resume later, okay? Just...run along and play with Sophie. And no going outside again, understand me?"

"Yes, but... Aunt Tilly..."

"_Go_!"

Rudy flinched at the force of that voice. He cringed away, staring at Aunt Tilly for a few seconds. He stared at her in the eyes, gritting his teeth. A part of him wanted to say and talk to her more. He didn't want to just leave it at this. They needed to talk more. They needed to sort this out. But another part of him didn't want to challenge his aunt further. He didn't want to run the risk of provoking another fight, similar to what happened before. Perhaps it was best if he just slinked away for now.

He gave his aunt one final glance before he headed up the steps slowly. He found it difficult to take each step. It felt like his legs had hardened and turned into jello. He had to fight to get his legs to move, to continue his ascension up the staircase.

Then finally, after what felt like forever, he reached the top. He looked down at his aunt. She was staring at him sternly. She made a few dismissive gestures with her hand, instructing him to head into his bedroom. Rudy looked at where his room would be and noticed the door was open. Hearing a giggle, he knew that Sophie was already in there. Taking one more glance at his aunt before he continued, he went into his room and shut the door behind him.

sss

_Why did she do that_? Why did she usher him into his bedroom so quickly like that? Why didn't she just try to finish this discussion once and for all? Why did she have to be such a coward and just...

Tilly let out a soft growl, rubbing her temples. She didn't mean to push Rudy away like that. She didn't mean to silence him and delay the conversation. She had wanted to continue right then. She had wanted to talk to him some more and hopefully end this debate for good. Instead, she had gotten so frustrated and so uncertain of what she was going to say that she _forced_ him to leave, under the guise of her wanting some coffee. She didn't even want to drink the stuff right now; it was nothing more than an excuse.

She knew she was being _cowardly_. She knew it wasn't the right thing, what she did. She just...didn't want to inadvertantly cause another fight. And what Rudy was saying... She didn't say it up front, but she was having some second thoughts on the whole thing. She had some growing doubt inside of her, and she wanted some time to deal with that.

Why didn't she just tell Rudy about it? She wasn't sure. Maybe she was worried that he might end up bombarding her with more and more stuff and just end up confusing her more. Well whatever the reason, she knew she had to take this time and actually think about her actions and what her choices might be. If she was going to continue having these doubts, then she might as well debate with herself and try to figure out if what he chose before really was the right decision, or perhaps she was simply being too rash.

The woman went over towards the couch and sat down. She leaned back against it, feeling her body touch the softness of the couch itself. Normally, she would feel relaxed here, laying against it, ready to watch television or just simply to read. But not today. Her mind kept sifting through many thoughts, and she knew she couldn't simply rest. Not now.

_What was she going to do_? She had thought that she was doing the right thing in reporting this incident to Rudy's parents. She didn't feel comfortable with the idea of hiding this from her sister. _Oh man_, she would feel absolutely awful. What would happen if her sister found out later on and then questioned her on it? She didn't want to seem like she was a traitor, or had purposely betrayed her. She would never do such a thing. That was part of the reason why she had felt it was best to just tell Millie about what was going on. She deserved to know.

That, and she was still worried about this ChalkZone. She was worried about Rudy and what might happen to him. He had insisted to her over and over again that ChalkZone was fine and safe. He had explained it to her repeatedly about what the world was like, and while some of it was reassuring, there were still things that bothered her about it.

Yet...something about this whole thilng just didn't seem right. Despite the fact that she didn't really think the zoners were worth protecting, since they _weren't human_, there was just something about what Rudy said that gave her reason for pause. Maybe she should reconsider this whole thing, and come up with a different answer.

How could she, though? How could she even think of _hiding this from her sister_? And yet..how could she hurt Rudy by telling his folks about this place that he obviously cared about? Even if she didn't understand why, she still felt some level of guilt in telling her sister about this place. She remembered the way the boy looked at him, how _hurt_ and _desperate_ he was. Even though she was doing this for his own good, she couldn't help but feel some pang of guilt for doing this.

So what would the end result be? What would she ultimately decide was best? She wasn't sure. Not anymore. She had been certain before, and now all that was torn up. She could only hope that she could think of something soon. She wanted to finish this discussion with Rudy and hopefully get him to accept whatever she decided. There had been enough arguing and debating about this, and regardless of what Rudy thought, in the end, she was only doing this for his own good. She wished he would understand that.

She looked down at the remote and picked it up. She held it gently in her hands. Perhaps some television might help her out. She flipped the television on and immediately muted it. The light shined on her face, despite the room already being pretty well lit since it was still daytime right now. She flipped through the channels, looking at what was going on.

News...

A comedy show...

Some old cartoon...

Educational programming..

She barely paid attention to what was happening on the screen. She tried to, but she found herself unable to simply relax and watch television. Whatever was going on simply went over her head, and she was barely able to recount what had happened. After a few moments, she dropped the remote, leaving it on some murder show.

Even with all the gory details being played before her, she hardly reacted. Her eyes remained part way open and she rested her arm against the end of the chair, her body pressing into it. She could barley register the actions on the screen as she tried to handle the raging pool of thoughts inside her cranium. She could feel her heard start to ache. She had never had to make a decision this hard before. She had never had to fight with herself about this for so long about _one thing_.

She was tempted to just go back with her original plan, to just tell her sister about what she found out and be done with it. She knew that Rudy would be upset, but he should at least understand she was doing it for his own good. She wanted him to be safe, and he would never be safe if he conitnued to run amok in this world; there was always a chance that something will happen to him.

She also felt bad for trying to isolate him from Penny. It wasn't something she had ever done before, and even her sister and her husband were unwilling to perform that kind of punishment on Rudy unless he had done something really bad. It wasn't because of anything Penny did; she just wanted Rudy's undivided attention and she wanted Penny's mom to be able to speak to her daughter unhindered as well. Hopefully this whole thing is sorted out before anything really awful would happen that would just make the situation much _worse_.

Yet...why did she feel this hesitation? Her earlier conversation with Rudy had her hesitate for the first time since...well whenever this discussion had been originally settled. She had never felt this level of indecisiveness before and she wasn't entirely sure why she felt this way.

Maybe she should let him continue going in this world... After all, he had gone there for the past couple years and he never seemed to return with injury. Her sister never brought it up and she hadn't noticed anything. Maybe she was taking things a little too far. Rudy did seem as though he could handle himself there. Perhaps she should...

..._but what about her sister_? Could she really lie to her own flesh and blood about this? She still felt hesitant about the idea. She wasn't sure if she could keep a straight face if she had to lie to Millie. She would feel like such an _awful_ sister...

She needed a bit of time to think. Yeah, that's all. After this show was over, she will know what to do...she hoped. She lifted up the remote and turned up the volume. But no matter how high she turned it up, she could not drown out her own internal arguments.

Well...here's to hoping that she can figure out something.

sss

Rudy tried his best to smile as Sophie showed him another drawing she conjured up in his notebook. "_Great work_, Soph."

He flinched at the lack of enthusiasm he had shown in that voice. It didn't seem to bother Sophie. His little cousin just squealed in happiness, throwing her hands in the air and then running over to get another crayon. Rudy watched as his cousin began to scribble another picture, this time using a blue crayon instead of a read one.

Looking at it reminded him, with some amusement, of that rally Penny went to that did not allow crayons. He had forgotten what it was about, and it wasn't even like Penny hated crayons. It was just a silly little thing.

He felt a pang, though, when he remembered that it was also the time when he had screwed up big time. He had tried to help some zoners who hadn't been erased yet, and he ended up making things worse. He had thought that he was doing the right thing and he thought he had a sixth sense about these kinds of stuff. Boy was he wrong. He had learned quite a bit that day, and he had even earned the zoners' forgiveness. Still, he felt bad about what happened, and he had been extra cautious since then.

His mind shifted back to his aunt. He wondered what he was going to tell her after her coffee break was done. He didn't even know how long he had. He didn't know how long it was going to be before Aunt Tilly had finished her break. For all he knew, she was coming up the stairs right now. That gave him more of a reason to concentrate on what he was going to say to her.

But what was the point? It wasn't like she was going to actually listen to him. With bitterness clinging to his heart, he couldn't help but think of their past interactions with her. She didn't seem like she was fully willing to listen. She had jumped to conclusions about ChalkZone and she had broken a promise, and she was going to tell his parents about it. He had tried to reaosn with her again and again, and yet she still didn't seem like she was willing to listen to him. She was too busy thinking about what she _thinks_ might be going on, not bothering to consider what he had told her.

Okay, that seemed rather unfair to her. He shouldn't think badly of his aunt like that. He just..couldn't help it. ChalkZone's very livelihood was at stake. If her aunt told his parents, and if they _believed_ her... He shuddered at the thought. If he could just convince her why it needs to remain secret, then maybe...

"_Rudy! Rudy_!" Sophie cried at him, hopping up and down. "_Lookie_!"

Rudy looked down at the drawing she made this time. More scribbles, although they appeared to take more shape this time. He smiled the best he could at his cousin. "That's really nice."

Sophie smiled, but this time, instead of running off like before, she merely moved closer to him. Rudy's eyes widened in surprise when he felt his cousin cuddle up against him. He could feel her head press against his chest, and he found himself looping an arm over her body, holding her against himself.

"Love you." The little girl whispered as she smiled at him.

Rudy widened his eyes at this comment. He then smiled at his cousin and hugged her tighter. "I love you, too, Soph..."

Sophie opened her mouth and let out a yawn. She smacked her lips together and closed her eyes. Rudy was surprised to see that his cousin was tired. Then again, she was only two and still had naps. Perhaps it was close to one of those times. He leaned against the wall, his arms still wrapped around his little cousin. He pressed his head against the wall and relaxed, feeling Sophie's warmth against him.

As he listened to his little cousin's relaxed breathing, Rudy tried to think of what he was going to tell his aunt. How was he going to get her to listen to reason? How was he going to get her to realize just how much of a _mistake_ it is to tell his folks about ChalkZone?

He had a feeling it was going to be _really_ hard to convince her. He knew he had to try. He had kept failing in the past, whether it was due to not being able to convince her, or not being able to come up with anything to say himself. But he would keep trying. It was the least he could do to help ChalkZone. Despite Penny's contribution to the mess, he still felt some level of guilt for leaving the portal open, and he felt obligued to do something about it.

Speaking of Penny, he wondered how she was doing. Last he remembered, her mom _knew about ChalkZone as well_. Was she going to have better luck than him when it came to protecting ChalkZone? Odds her, she might. Despite his worry, he knew that Mrs. Sanchez was a more level headed woman than his aunt, considering all the stress she puts herself through and _still_ managing not to crack. She might listen to reason more readily than his aunt and be more likely to make the right decision.

He had cooled down some since his talk with his aunt. Only a few minutes, sure. Ten or fifteen tops. But he had found himself relaxing more quickly than he thought. His cousin's boundless enthusiasm and wanting to share her art probably helped. This didn't mean he was no longer angry at Penny. He was. But he did hope that things do work out for her with her mother.

He thought back to their earlier fight. Was he right to accuse her like that? Yeah...it _was_ kind of Penny's fault since she had the tracker in her and yet... did she really mean it? _No_. And she had only snapped at him because he had been rounding on her. A pang tugged at his chest at this realization. Yeah, he did go a little _too far_. Maybe later on, whenever they are able to see each other again, he should talk to her about that. No...he definitely _would_.

He lifted up his head when he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Faint, but still noticeable. He looked towards the door, expecting to see his aunt walk in. Instead, the steps went right past, and he realized that his aunt was just looking for the bathroom. He sighed softly, not sure if he wanted to feel relief or disappointment at this.

He could feel squirming in his arms. He looked down, noticing that Sophie was trying to get up. Confused, Rudy released her and watched as she went over to get something else to draw. Had she not been so tired after all? Or had he kept her up due to his hypertension?

Sophie looked over at him, still smiling, but there was something more there. Understanding perhaps? Sophie was smart at times. Maybe she merely picked up the emotion that he was feeling. Perhaps she was trying to cheer him up.

Sophie held a green crayon this time. Rudy kept quiet as Sophie began to draw a picture on the notebook. It didn't take her long to finish it. She tore the paper out of the notebook and walked up to him. She held it up to him, waiting for him to take it. Rudy took it and unfolded the paper. His eyes widened at what he saw.

_It was Blocky_...

Rudy felt a sting in his heart. _Poor Blocky_.. He hoped that, wherever he was, that he was safe and sound. He hadn't seen him in a few days and he really missed him. It was hard to believe that things started out fine. He had a big birthday party and then..._things just took a turn for the worst_.

He then took a sharp intake of breath. Was there a reason Sophie drew his picture? She did allude to him earlier, and she had seen him more than once. She would know what he looked like. And the fact that she had put in so much _effort_ into this drawing... Yeah there had to be a reason for it. He turned to Sophie. He didn't know what kind of answer to expect, but..he _had_ to ask it.

Then he managed to speak the question he wished he had done so before.

"Sophie...did you see Blocky...?"

The girl didn't respond at first. She merely looked at him almost in confusion, as if she didn't know what he was saying. Rudy was about to backtrack and reword his question when he saw the little girl nod her head. Rudy widened his eyes at this.

"You did?" Rudy said softly.

Sophie nodded her head. "Green paper!"

Rudy realized that Sophie may have been talking about what happened in ChalkZone. She had met Blocky then. So he decided to be a little more specific with his next question. "Did you see him outside of ChalkZone?" Sophie was confused by this. Rudy realized she may not understand the full concept of alternate dimensions. So he elaborated a little more. "Did you see him in this room?" He motioned with his hand. "_My_ bedroom?"

At this, Sophie grinned and nodded. "Here! _Play_!"

Rudy felt some elation rise up inside of him. Finally, they were actually getting somewhere. No more simple guessing or interpretations. He was finally going to get some actual answers to what happened. Now that he had confirmation that Blocky had indeed come into the Real World, he pressed on, hoping to narrow down the possibilities.

"Did you see your mom take the chalkboard?" A nod. "Did Blocky...er..the green paper..follow?"

Sophie nodded again. "Follow! _Over there_! Follow!"

So...when his aunt had come in to take the chalkboard, Blocky must have been in the room. He was probably hiding from her. Maybe under the bed or elsewhere. And when he had seen her take the portal, he had followed her.

He had thought about talking to his cousin more, but what else could he ask her? She wouldn't have followed Blocky outside; she knows better than that. She knows to stay in the house. So what else might have happened? Rudy thought about what his aunt had said. She had sold his chalkboard to these people, who were parked across the street. Von and Terry. Blocky might have snuck around to the front and tried to get to them.

But no..that didn't make much sense. It may have been a less busy time, but someone would have seen him. If not anyone in the street, then Von or Terry would have. They would have seen him and realized what he was and take him with them.

But how would they have captured him? Blocky wouldn't have been stupid enough to cross the street like that and his flat body would have made him hard to catch. He would have hidden himself, or at least gone back into the house. _How would they have_...

His eyes bulged open as he remembered something. He recalled that Von had knocked out Penny quite easily, grabbing her from behind and injecting her. If Von had been able to do that in _daylight_, would he have been able to do the same with his friend? The realization creeped along the back of his head, leaving behind a chilly sensation. At long last, a more accurate, concise image of what happened played in his head.

He felt a cold lightning bold through his body, making his stomach hurt. If that were the case, then... If Blocky had been trapped in the Real World this whole time, then... _Oh no_... what about food and water? Well they did have the portal, but he wouldn't know if they knew _how_ to use it.

And even without the food issue, what about what those two adults wanted him for? Terry, he wasn't as worried about as she probably would just want to put him on television. But what of Von..? He was a _scientist_...

Rudy felt a lump appear in his throat. He knew what scientists liked to do. They liked to figure things out. And Von... he didn't follow the complete scientific protocol. The things he could and would do to Blocky all in the name of curiosity...

He was frozen in shock unable to move. It had only been mere speculation before that Blocky was with them, and now that he knew for certain... The full realization of what that entailed, of what kind of danger his friend was in, struck him with full force, the impact far reaching. What was he going to do now?

He was about to speak more to Sophie when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." He said softly.

In seconds, his aunt pushed the door open and stepped into the room. "Hey, Rudy." Sophie jumped up and squeeled, rushing towards her mother. "Hello there, honey." She scooped up her small daughter in one arm. "Have some fun with Rudy?"

"_Rudy! Rudy! Draw_!" Sophie squealed as she held onto her mother.

Rudy smiled at this, but his smile soon faded as he remembered the predicament that his friend was in. He looked down at the piece of paper, depicting a drawing of his friend. He stared at it long and hard, his heart aching as he thought of all the horrible things being done to him. He gently moved his hand over the picture, biting his lip. Poor Blocky...

"Is this your friend?"

Rudy jerked in surprise and looked up at his aunt. She was starting intently at the drawing. "Y-Yeah... He's been kidnapped.. I need to find him."

"Why?" His aunt asked.

Rudy resisted the temptation to glare at her. "He's one of my creations. I know you don't understand, but..I have to help him." He looked up at Aunt Tilly, tears forming in his eyes. "_Please_, I... I have to help him. I love him so much, Aunt Tilly. Please, I..."

"Relax, Rudy." Aunt Tilly set Sophie on the ground. She reached over and touched his shoulder. "I thought about what you said before, and during my coffee break, I started to reconsider my decision."

Rudy's eyes brightened at this. "Y-You did..?"

Aunt Tilly smiled at him and nodded her head. "And I believe I have finally come to a conclusion."

Rudy felt positive emotion begin to rise inside, a pleasurable feeling moving through his limbs. But there was still some caution. He didn't know what decision his aunt made or if it was any better than before. He bit his lip nervously, staring at her for a few seconds. Then, he managed to squeak out a question, "What did you decide...?"

Aunt Tilly let out a soft sigh. "It wasn't an easy decision for me to make, honestly. I'm still not entirely sure if I made the right choice." She shook her head. "But that's life. You won't always make a decision that you will particularly enjoy."

Rudy felt his heart sink at this. He lowered his head slightly.

"But I feel more confident in this decision. I'm not sure how, but..."

"_Just spill it_." Rudy said. He closed his eyes and waited for the answer that he knew was coming.

His aunt paused or a moment, and then, out of the corner of his eye, she nodded her head. "Very well, then. Rudy Tabootie, after careful consideration, I have decided to..."

Here it goes. The decision. He already knew what it was going to be. She might as well get it over with. He was never going to be able to convince her. She was never going to listen. She was just going to...

".._not_ tell your parents about ChalkZone."

sss

Although Penny would have wanted to talk to her mother more, she was glad that they had worked out the situation with ChalkZone together. The advantage she had over Rudy is that it was her mom, and not some other relative, who found out, so they could kick out the conversation much quicker. Her mother had ultimately decided to let her keep going into ChalkZone, but with a limitation: for the moment, she was only permitted two hours total in the day, meaning less time to spend with her friend and less time to help.

Oh well, at least it was better than being locked out. Despite her anger with Rudy, she did still feel sadness for him as he was currently locked out of the place. Unless his aunt decided to change her mind, there was no way Rudy woudl be able to come into ChalkZone anytime soon.

That meant that she was the _only available creator_ to help find Blocky and that portal.

She wasn't entirely sure if she was the right person for the job. Despite showing skill with drawing in the past and despite knowing that she was the one that usually comes up with the plans, Penny still felt a level of uncertainty. She didn't have a high level of confidence within herself. She would feel better if Rudy were here.

She wanted to slap herself. She mentally told herself to get a grip. She had shown that she was quite capable in the past, like when she helped to save the zoners and her friends from that taffy avalanche, or when she had screwed around with _Skrawl_ and managed to trick him. And she was getting worried about not being good enough? She needed to stop whining about that and focus on the mission ahead of her.

She was getting worried about what the zoners were up to. She wasn't really sure how to feel about it. She had wanted to voice her concerns, but she didn't know exactly how to say it. And Snap and Rapsheeba did make a convincing argument for it.

When she had arrived in ChalkZone, she had run into one of the zoners that were going to Howdy's place. She was confused and didn't fully understand why. She had thought that, maybe, he was hosting some kind of party to help cheer up the zoners. That seemed like something he would do. She was about to turn away to being her own solo search for the portal when she overheard one of the zoners commenting something about Howdy and what he may have done. A pang in her heart, Penny talked to one of the zoners about this.

It turned out that Howdy had been seen acting strangely. Holding a bag of unknowns, _deliberately_ venturing into a less explored, _dangerous_ area, _pushing away Rapsheeba when she got too close_...

Admittingly, Penny thought that was rather strange. That wasn't like Howdy. However, she didn't jump to the same conclusions as some of the zoners did. She didn't want to think the worst of her friend. Howdy wasn't drawn to be a malicious zoner, and based on what she had seen, she couldn't very well imagine him changing for the worse like that. She had a feeling that Howdy might be in some kind of trouble. Perhaps another zoner was pulling his strings. As much as she would have liked to resume her search for the portal, she also wanted to make sure that Howdy would be okay, so she had followed the zoners to his place.

Upon arriving, she noticed that Rapsheeba and Snap were trying to shoo away some of the zoners. Penny was confused at first, thinking they wanted all the help they could get to ensure Howdy wouldn't try to get away. Once she managed to squeeze through the crowd and reached her friends, she asked them what was going on.

According to Snap, they had only wanted a select few zoners to be present. Ones that they could trust and _wouldn't_ overreact or do anything rash. Taking a look around, Penny could tell that a lot of these zoners looked ready to _tear into_ Howdy if they had seen him. She understood, in that moment, why Snap and Rapsheeba would not want them involved in the interrogation.

Then something came to her head. She had started to wonder just how so many zoners could have shown up if Rapsheeba and Snap weren't going to call forth too many of them. One of the zoners, a grumpy female, admitted to eavesdropping and that she and her shy male partner had spread the word to the other zoners. She didn't seem very apologetic about it, but Penny decided it was best to pay her no mind.

She went into the front of the crowd and cleared her throat. She tried to muster up as much courage as she could, and, thinking for a moment how Rudy would handle the situation, she asked most of the zoners to leave, explaining to them that their presence could compromise the interrogation and make it _harder_ for Howdy to speak. She promised to inform them of the updated situation once they were able to talk to Howdy. The zoners grumbled, especially that grumpy female, but they did obligue and left. Only the zoners that Snap and Rapsheeba wanted there, including Lars and Bathtub Granny, remained behind.

Snap expressed joy that Penny was there, but they didn't have much time to get updated. They would have to save that for later. For the time being, they had to get ready for Howdy. They had just one shot at this. If they slipped up, then they would not get another chance; Howdy would be too on high alert in that case.

Snap and Rapsheeba already figured out a game plan. They would hide some of the zoners on the outside, where the windows and doors were, while a handful would be inside. The ones on the outside would be the swiftest, just in case Howdy manages to get out and run. The ones on the inside would be the strongest, and keep the doorways and hallways blocked. Snap was originally going to be placed on the outside to chase Howdy, but it was later decided that Rapsheeba would fill that role better.

Penny offered to help by luring Howdy back to his home, under the guise of wanting to help with his next performance. She felt _awful_ about lying to him, and she would prefer just being straightforward. But if he had knocked away Rapsheeba like that... Yeah this was the only way.

The two zoners did not argue with her decision. Rapsheeba informed her of which direction she had seen Howdy go in. Writing them down on a piece of chalk paper, Penny waved to her friends and promised them, and the rest of the zoners, that she will be back for Howdy. As she left, she heard some mumbling behind her as the zoners prepared for the trap.

She could not believe that it had to come to this. She didn't like the idea of trapping Howdy to get information from him. This was something she would normally be against, and now here she was, helping them do it. But it wasn't like they wanted to either. She could see the regret in Snap and Rapsheeba's eyes. They, too, wished for another way. But if Howdy was going to remain _uncooperative_... She could only hope that Howdy realizes how _silly_ he had been and try to speak to them.

She couldn't fathom why he would do something like this. _Why_ would Howdy knock down Rapsheeba and make a run for it? Why would he go somewhere that he must have known was dangerous? What was in that bag he was supposedly carrying, and why was he sneaking around with it? Just what was going on? They had to find out what it was. _If Howdy was hiding something_...

She shook her head. She tried not to think too bad of her friend. Yeah she was upset that he appeared to be hiding information from them, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. She was certain that he had some good reason for what he was doing. She just...couldn't think of anything yet.

Penny looked out in front of her, pausing as she stared at her destination. In the distance, she could see some portions of the dangerous place Howdy went to. What did the zoners call it again? Ah yes, _Pencil Sharpener_. She snorted at the weird name, but that was short-lived. Dread filled her heart as she was reminded of how _dangerous_ this place supposedly was. She licked her lips slowly. Then, with great hesitation, she resumed her walking.

She approached the forest slowly. No matter how slow she went, it still felt as though the forest, or swamp or whatever it was, was getting closer. The pointy mountains towered over her, their very presence in a mostly flat surrounding rather jarring to the eyes. The tall, pointy trees looked very foreboding, as if they were ready to claw at her the moment she stepped in. The land was covered some kind of steamy mud. When a piece of sharp tree broke off and landed, she couldn't help but stop and cringe, gritting her teeth, at the sound of loud _popping_ and _sizzling_.

She soon reached it. She paused and looked at the ground. Some of the gooey stuff appeared to have hardened. They still had the sizzle property, but it was much less pronounced and scary-sounding than the areas that were still wet. She wasn't sure just where this goo stuff came from, and right now, she couldn't dwell on that. Slowly, she pressed her foot on the ground. She winced at the hissing, then, gathering up more courage, she pushed herself to walk into the Pencil Sharpener forest.

There was a strong feeling of dread when she entered here. She rubbed her hands together nervously as she looked left and right. She could feel the sharp, angled shadows covering her, and she could have sworn someone was watching her. A cold chill rose up inside of her, and she had to fight the instinct to run. She pushed herself forward, looking left and right, trying to find any sign of the puppet zoner.

For a while, she turned up empty. She couldn't hear the little guy, nor see him. Perhaps it was because of how small he was. Howdy could easily slip by without her even seeing him. There was plenty of cover around here. So maybe he saw her coming and tried to go around her.

That didn't stop her from still looking, however. Even if Howdy could have already slipped passed her, there was still the possibility that he was still in the forest. She had to keep looking, no matter how she felt about this place.

Her stubbornness paid off.

In the distance, she could see a shape forming, a shadow crawling along the ground. She recognized that shape anywhere. It was Howdy. Penny thought at first about hiding, but then, remembering the plan, she remained firm. As long as she did not indicate that she knew anything, she should be fine.

Howdy froze as soon as he saw her. His wide eyes stared at her, and his body tensed up slightly. Penny couldn't tell if it was from the desire to run or from the confusion of her being there. She took a step back and waved to him.

"Oh, _there are you are_, Howdy!"

Howdy stared at her for a few seconds. Then he managed to smile back and waved his hand slowly. "H-Hello, Penny! What..what brings you here..?"

"Oh I was trying to find you. You see..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "I was wondering if you could..well... Let me help you with your next performance?" Howdy blinked his eyes a few times at this. "I had some ideas and..."

"Sure, I'd like to see them." Howdy motioned his hand towards her. "We can go to my place."

"That's _exactly_ what I was thinking, yeah." Penny said quickly, nodding her head. Realizing that she had startled Howdy, she slowed herself down and grinned nervously. "S-Sorry about that. It's just that...your performances are quite good. I'm just excited to be a part of it."

Howdy remained silent, making Penny wonder if he had seen through her lie. She did her best to keep smiling, however, not wanting to give Howdy any ideas of what was going on. Then, a smile spreading across his face, the zoner gave a nod. He motioned for Penny to walk with him. Penny resisted the urge to sigh with relief and she began to follow Howdy.

She couldn't believe her luck. She had found Howdy a lot faster than she had expected. And she had managed to convince him sooner than she thought. She would have thought that it would take more time to convince him. The zoner had been quite nervous, she could tell. She half expected him to run away from her, deliberately choosing a more difficult and dangerous path in order to make her slow down. At least he had seemed to listen to reason now, allowing them to make the trip back quicker. The sooner they got this over with, the better.

As they walked, she couldn't help but glance down at Howdy. The zoner was smiling, but he still looked cautious and nervous. It was quick and sometimes she missed it, but he darted his eyes from side to side once in a while, as if looking for something. This made Penny's heart clench. _Was...was someone watching_...?

The ten year old took this moment to look around herself. She didn't see anything, just the uninviting surroundings of the Pencil Sharpener. Regardless, she couldn't fight off the feeling of dread. There was just something...wrong about this place. But she couldn't quite put her finger on as to why.

Then, without warning, Howdy stopped. Penny nearly stepped right into him. She managed to stop herself, and she stared down at the puppet zoner in confusion. What happened? Why did he stop? And why was he looking at her _that way_...?

His eyes.. filled with something familiar, yet unfamiliar for the little guy. _Regret...remorse_... Realizing what this might mean, Penny took a step back and opened her mouth.

"_Howdy_..."

Howdy bit his lip, his eyes widening with more sadness. "I-I'm sorry, Penny." He whispered softly. His body trembled as he pulled out something. A gun... "Forgive me.. I never wanted to do this..."

Her heart freezing, Penny began to rush towards him. "_Howdy! No_!"

He pulled the trigger. Penny was struck by a tentacle of pale yellow light. It wrapped around her, pumping energy through her body. Penny's eyes widened and she screamed loudly. In seconds, she crumpled to the ground. She laid there on her side, her unfocused eyes looking around her. She could make out the blurry shape of Howdy approaching her.

"_Wh-Why_...?" Penny managed to choke out, a tear dripping from her eye.

Howdy merely stared at her. The blurriness of her vision prevented her from seeing what his expression looked like. Before she blacked out, she could hear his distorted, regret-filled voice say, "I'm _so_ sorry, Penny..."

sss

"Ah so you did complete your task. _Very good_, little runt." Terry said, a nasty grin spread across her face. "Good thing you listened, otherwise I would have been forced to make a...modification to your face. But don't worry; I'm sure you would have looked _just fine either way_."

Howdy grimaced at this. He lowered his head, averting gaze with the crazed woman. Dread filled his mind and heart, feeling a burning sensation as he was unable to come to terms with he had just done. He thought back to Penny, and he clenched his teeth. He had _knocked her out_ and had just _left her_... He hoped she was going to be okay.

In his hand, he clutched the magic chalk that this woman so desired. He was tempted to crush it in his hands so she couldn't be able to use it. He thought better of that and merely held it out in front of him. He kept his gaze away, and he was unable to see her evil smile as she grabbed it from him. He turned his head slightly, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see her raise the chalk up in the air, cradling it with one hand.

The puppet zoner could feel the guilt rising up inside of him. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He was _helping_ this woman... He knew she did not have the best intentions for ChalkZone, and yet he stilled helped her. He had knocked down Rapsheeba and attacked Penny.. How could he have done _that_? How could he have _allowed_ himself to be drawn into this?

It was fear. He knew that fully well. He was afraid of what might be done to him. He was afraid of what this woman might do to Blocky if he resisted. Unable to think of anything to say, he merely kept his head lowered, showing submission to this woman.

If only he had more strength... If only he had more courage... If only he wasn't afraid to show this...this bitch exactly what he thought about her...

"C-Can I see my friend now...?" Howdy whispered softly.

Terry stared down at him for a few moments. Howdy looked up at her, meeting her eyes with an upward gaze. He said not a word as she contemplated an answer. Then with a shrug, she said, "Sure, I suppose so. I guess you earned it."

Howdy's eyes brighted by a little bit. He opened his mouth to speak, but kept it shut, fearful of getting her to change her mind.

Terry motioned with her finger. "_Follow me_."

With his head remaining low, Howdy followed the vile woman through the hallways. He hardly paid attention to where they were going. He merely kept his eyes on the back of the woman as she led him to where his friend was being held. There were no screams this time, but that did little to cheer him up. In fact, it only filled him with more dread, as the silenced could mean a number of things.

Howdy could feel a shiver move through his body. The longer he stayed in here, the more terrified he felt. Just the mere thought of knowing that he was in a science laboratory... Sometimes, as they passed by open doors, he could catch a glimpse of some of the machines around here. Each one looked more dangerous than the last. He had no idea what they were for. He didn't ask about anything of them, however. Just keeping his mouth shut and averting gaze.

Soon they reached an unfamiliar part of the building. He thought he heard the whirring of a machine, but he realized it was just his imagination. The heavy silence of this hallway got to him, messed with his head, made him wonder just what could be hiding around here. He slowed down, looking cautiously around him. He suddenly found himself propelled forward by a hand against his back.

"_Don't slow down_!" Terry snarled at him. "Or you will lose your chance to see your precious friend!"

Howdy nodded his head slowly. "I-I understand..."

Terry smirked at him in satisfaction. He led the little guy towards one of the rooms. The door was closed, and it appeared to be unmarked. Terry opened it up and, with a kick of her foot, the door swung open all the way. Terry motioned with her hands, giving off an uncomfortable smile. "Well...? _Go on in_... He's in there."

Howdy stared at her with uncertainty. Her smile was doing nothing to make him want to go in there faster. He turned his attention to the open door. He licked his lips nervously. Then, with a nervous swallow, he moved forward.

Upon entering the room, he took notice of what looked like a large, glass container. It appeared completely solid at first until he noticed, from a new angle, it was actually hollow. There were a series of small openings in it. Not a lot, but enough to let some air into the container. This was enough of a clue for him to realize, even before he saw him, that this must be where Blocky was being kept.

When he got close enough, he realized that his idea was correct. He could see the familiar green form in the container. He winced when he saw the bandage wrapped around him, and the blood stains. _Oh Blocky.. What had they done to him_...?

As if sensing someone was there, Blocky raised his head up. He gave a soft whimper, his eyes clinched tightly, face contorting in pain. "N-No.._please_... No more..." Howdy felt his heart break when he heard just how broken his friend was. "I can't take it. _No more_...Please I..." The rectangular zoner froze when he realized who stood before him in the room. "_H-H-Howdy_...?"

Howdy gave a small, reassuring smile. "Hey.."

"D-Did they capture you, too?" Blocky asked.

Howdy shook his head. "No. They let me see you."

"What..what do you mean...?" Blocky was about to speak more when a wrack of pain froze him, making him whimper.

Howdy looked at him sympathetically. "Please..take it easy, Blocky. It...It's going to be fine."

Blocky stared at him with uncertainty. "How do you...kn-know..?"

"I..I don't know." Howdy admitted. "But maybe things will work out. You'll see..."

"Maybe..." Blocky coughed a few times. He sat himself up. Howdy couldn't help but take in a sharp in take of air when he saw just how badly hurt his friend was. "So why...why are you here? What happened...?"

Howdy cleared his throat and began to explain the situation to his friend.

"It's...it's like this..."

sss

The Smooch kept her wings open, feeling the current pushing up against her to keep her aloft. She didn't remember how long she had been flying, but for the moment, she didn't really care. She was just enjoying herself, allowing the breeze to carry her over the land.

It wasn't often that she left her island. She didn't feel comfortable being anywhere but there and with the Haha Men. That was her home, where she was created and lived for years. Anywhere else just felt..._strange_ to her. The different sights and surroundings... It sometimes confused her when she looked out and didn't see any of those dancing trees, or any of the Haha Men playing their catchy songs.

But once in a while, she did get herself to leave for a brief flight. It let her get an idea of how things may have changed, plus some of the scenery, even if confusing, was still pretty to look at. At least she was high above the ground, so most things that might be dangerous wouldn't be able to reach her.

She recognized this place. She had been here before. The Smooch knew she was getting somewhat close to ChalkZone City. Well not quite; it was still some ways off, and she would have to make a turn if she wanted to go there. She had no interest, though. The smog wasn't her thing. Maybe it wasn't smoggy, but she didn't want to take the chance. She was much happier here, in the outskirts and open plains.

That comfortable feeling went away when she noticed something below her. She was approaching some spooky looking forest. It was enough to make her stop and reconsider the direction she was flying in. Hovering up above, she looked down, slowly flapping her wings to keep herself from falling down.

This place looked rather spikey. The hills were tall and pointed and almost looked out of place. There was some kind of weird fog coming out one end of it, and the way the land seemed to _suddenly_ shift, from whatever this dark forest was made of and how different the land around it was... She tried to push back her nervous thoughts as she lowered herself a little more. She knew it was against her better judgment, but she felt she had to explore this place. Curiosity was getting the best of her, something that rarely happens.

The Smooch flinched as she tried to fly through the trees. They raked against her, the sharp tips threatening to tear up her wings. She stopped and looked all around. She began to wonder why it was such a good idea to come down here in the first place. She tried to fly upwards, but ended up hitting against one of the thicker branches. With a grunt, she was tossed towards the ground.

Squawking in terror, she flapped in desperation. She tried to gain some levitivity, but unfortunately, she was not quick enough. She let out a pained squawk as she hit the ground, her legs sprawling out into a _painful split_. She shut her eyes, shutting a few tears.

She remained this way for a few moments. Horrible pain shot through her legs and hips, and she did her best not to squeal. Slowly, she started to climb back up to her feet. Her stance was wobbly and her legs felt like jello. She stumbled forward a little, flapping her scratched up wings to avoid falling over. When she managed to regain her footing, she stood there, panting a little as she looked at her surroundings.

This was one _scary_ place. She had never seen a forest like this in ChalkZone before. It was such a start contrast of her own home. Instead of being warm, happy, and inviting, this place was dark, twisted, and foreboding. She couldn't fathom what kind of creator would make a place like this. Seeing the way the branches curved in above her, blocking much of the light, The Smooth decided that maybe it was best not to try to fly out of here. She did find it much easier to walk anyway. Gathering up whatever courage she had left, she started to make her way through the spooky forest.

Walking along here was quite unnerving. _The hissing sounds_... She flapped in surprise when she first heard that. She thought, at first, there was something underneath the ground trying to cook her alive. She was not interested in becoming anyone's poultry meal. She relaxed when she realized that the ground was not hot at all. She didn't know what could be causing the hissing then, but she didn't want to dwell on it. The sooner she got out of here, the sooner she could get back home safe and sound. She had enough flying around for one day.

After a few minutes of flying, she stopped when she noticed something in the distance. Some small form on the ground. She squinted her eyes to try to get a better look. There was something _very familiar_ about this being...

She began to approach the figure slowly. She knew they were still alive; she could see their chests inhale and exhale with each intake of breath. She wondered what they were doing in this forest. Were they a resident or were they simply lost? The only way to find out was to get a little closer and examine. She wouldn't be able to do much talking; she was never given that ability by her creator.

When she got close enough, she began to recognize the individual. The outfit was unfamiliar, but the overall shape of the body, the size, that hair, the glasses... The Smooch widened her eyes in recognition. It was that little girl, one of the three who had visited her a few months ago. Friend of the blue boy she had kissed as part of the ritual.

The Smooch wondered what the girl was doing out here, and all by herself at that. Where were her friends? Turning her head left and right, she could see no sign of anyone else here. Just this girl. Had she come all this way just to get some peace and quiet? A weird place to choose, but...

Then she noticed something was wrong with the girl. _There were injuries on her_. Scratches and a few burn marks. The Smooch widened her eyes in horror at this. It was then she realized that this poor little girl was _hurt_. With cold blood in her body, she realized that the one who attacked her might still be lurking around. Hunching her body defensively, she looked around. She didn't see any sign of anyone there, but perhaps they were hiding, _waiting to strike_...

She looked back down at the girl. She lowered her head and gently pushed it against her. She nudged the girl a few times, but got no response. Furrowing her eyes with concern, she tried again, this time with more force and accompanying it with a loud squawk. This time, the girl opened her eyes a little and stared up at her. They were unfocused and she couldn't tell if the girl even realized she was there.

The girl let out a soft moan, and attempted to crawl forward. "N-No...don't...please..." She collapsed back down, her eyes shutting softly.

The Smooch stared down at her worriedly. She knew she had to do something for her and fast. She craned her head up. She wanted so much to just fly away, but with this girl's injuries... No, that would be a _bad_ idea. And what if she fell? The last thing this poor girl needed was to get even more hurt.

There was only one thing she could think of. Lowering herself towards the ground with her long, black pantyhosed legs to the ground, being careful of where she stepped with her red high heals, she gently scooped the girl up in her wings. She gently placed her on her back, letting the girl sprawl across her, her arms and legs hanging off the edge.

Then, making sure the girl was nice and secured, The Smooch picked the direction she remembered ChalkZone City being in. Knowing the girl might need a doctor to look at her, even if it was one not from her home world, she took off in that direction.


	19. Colds

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 19: Colds

_**When you place your hand on my skin, it shall have turned to ice.**_

sss

Howdy gagged when the angered human seized him by his neck. He was lifted roughly into the air. He tried to strike back at them, swinging a fist again and again. Thankfully, Von had his head pulled back, and the runt wasn't able to get an attack in edge wise.

He wasn't sure what possessed Terry to allow him to see his friend. All that did was increase his willingness to save them. He knew that, if zoners were like humans enough, Howdy here would have tried whatever he could to get Blocky out. If he hadn't come into the room in time to see the puppet try to tilt the enclosure over...

He did his best to hide his anger from Terry. He couldn't believe the woman had been stupid enough to leave the puppet zoner in the room _unintended_ while she went out doing...whatever it is she wanted to do. In doing so, she had given the zoner enough time to formulate a plan and try to get his friend out. Terry said she didn't think that he'd try it, and that the enclosure was too heavy for him. She apparently didn't account for Howdy using some items in the room to gain leverage...

The fact that he had only managed to push the glass enclosure a few inches didn't really cheer him up all that much. If given enough time, Howdy would have succeeded. He growled softly to himself. He began to wonder if Terry really was the best person to be his partner. _Perhaps he should do something about her_.

He would deal with her later, though. At the moment, he needed to take care of this squirming zoner. Howdy was still trying to fight back. He kicked his legs wildly, continuously trying to attack him. Despite his disadvantage, he was still trying to defend himself. _How cute_... Dr. Von Doktor looked towards the glass enclosure where Blocky was still being kept. Perhaps now was a good time for him to move onto the next experiment. Only this time, there was going to be a witness.

He tightened his grip on the zoner's neck, listening to him gag, feeling his fingers try to pry his hand off. Howdy glared at him, but his attempts to hide his feelings were in vain. The man could easily see the fear in his eyes.

"Zince you were zo _generous_ in trying to ruin our planz..." Von took a quick, accusatory glare at Terry, who stood nearby. The woman folded her arms and glared back, giving him a 'what did I do' expression. He smiled at Howdy. "Perhapz we will allow you firzt row zeat. It is zee _leazt_ we can do." He patted the zoner on the head gently.

Howdy growled, confusion edging on his voice. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh it'z quite easy to understand if you zink about it." Von said as he walked towards one of the chairs that were nearby. He held Howdy out in front of him, letting him get a look at it. "We wouldn't want you to _mizz out_. And maybe...who knowz..? Maybe you will learn a zing or two about how we do zingz around here."

"Doctor, I don't know why you're bothering wasting your time with that thing." Terry said. She ignored the insulted glare she got from Howdy. "Just punish him already and send him back to ChalkZone." She glared intently into Howdy's eyes. "He's _still_ our little delivery boy. He mustn't forget that."

"Oh don't worry." Von grinned. "After ziz, zere would be no way he'd forget zat."

Howdy's eyes widened slowly at this. He looked up at Von, the confusion turning into apprehension. Von merely smiled at him, refusing to say anything more. He would rather just hint at his fate rather than tell him anything directly. The zoner would probably figure it out eventually. He just needed a bit more of a clue, and then he could watch the fun begin.

Dr. Von Doktor forced Howdy into the chair. He motioned for Terry to come over. The woman gave a disgusted snort, but still went along with what he wanted anyway. She aided Von, grabbing some rope and bringing it over to him. Von pulled Howdy's hands behind the chair roughly, through the empty spaces on the back plate. Terry tied up his hands there, making sure it was good and tight. Von then held down Howdy's legs, allowing Terry to bind them to the chair's bars. The final touch was a few more loops around his chest and stomach, and then he was secured good and tight.

Von smiled down at the zoner, putting his hands on his hips. "I zuppose you want to know what we are going to do with you now?" Howdy didn't bother to answer. He just jerked himself from side to side. Von merely smiled at this. He could already tell how much fun this was going to be. He reached down and put his finger on Howdy's chin, tilting it up. "Well I promize you zat we won't hurt you..._phyzically_. But I wonder..._how much can your mind take_...?"

Terry looked down at Von, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting that we...?" She groaned when Von raised up his hand to silence her. She rolled her eyes and looked away.

"_Let me go_!" Howdy snarled at him. He pulled on the ropes as hard as he could. Von was impressed by his repeated attempts. Even when the ropes clearly started to hurt him, Howdy still tugged and pulled, clearly determined to get away. "I swear, if you don't let me go...!"

Von chuckled coldly at this. "My, aren't you getting overly excited? Well zorry, but you ain't going anywhere." Von stroked the top of Howdy's head. "Not until after your little punishment."

Howdy spat, "_To the eraser with your punishment_!"

Dr. Von Doktor widened his eyes at that bold statement. He couldn't help but smile at the zoner's determination. Gone was the submissive zoner who didn't want his friend to get hurt. Present was a bold little guy whose anger was becoming the driving force of his actions. How interesting... But he knew he couldn't let him stay this way for long. The little chalk creature could ruin their plans. Time to crush the little guy's spirit, and he knew exactly how he was going to do that.

Von seized the zoner by his chin, holding him in place. Howdy glared at him, trying in vain to hide the fear that he was clearly feeling. "Say, little guy... Do you want to watch a movie? Well, it's kind of a movie but... Well, let's just say it'll star someone who might be able to _tame_ this little temper of yours..."

Howdy's eyes widened for a millisecond before he reacted on instinct. Opening his mouth wide, _he bit down on the scientist's hand_. Von's eyes bulged open at this, and he released a scream from his mouth. He recoiled back, yanking away his hand. He flinched when Howdy's teeth managed to scrape some of the skin, leaving behind a mark. Clutching his hand to himself, Von stared at it, noting some blood marks on it. The little runt had broken some of the skin.

He shot a glare at the zoner. Howdy, in that moment, appeared to realize what he had just done and what that had meant. He tried to struggle to get away. The ropes held him in place as the angered doctor stared at him with an expression of rage.

Froming a fist, he snarled, "_You little_...!" He struck forward, but stopped dead short of actually hitting the zoner. Howdy turned his head to the side, his teeth clenched and body shaking in fear. He looked at the man expectantly, wondering if he was going to finish his attack or what. Slowly, as the man regained his composure, he smiled, "No... I'll do something elze instead." He turned to Terry. "_Bring me more rope_."

Howdy's eyes widened at this. "What..what are you..?"

Von sneered down at the zoner, feeling a sense of pleasure that the zoner had lost some of his edge. He was finally starting to understand. He heard the approaching footsteps of Terry and he grabbed the rope from her. "I will make sure you don't get a chance to do zat again. Be glad I am not going for a more.._permanent_ zolution..."

Howdy's head was held in place by Terry was Von circled the rope around his head. As the tightened them, Howdy let out a surprised yelp. Perhaps he bit his tongue. Oh well, who cares... He continued wrapping the rope around until he figured he had enough to keep the zoner from opening his jaws. He tied a knot at the top. He would have stopped right there, but he wanted to go a step further, using a piece of cloth to cover up the zoner's mouth.

Now Howdy was unable to make much noise. Just some mumbled sounds mostly. He kept trying to cry out in protest, but any word he tried to say was distorted and nearly muted by the rope and cloth. With no worry of being bitten again, the man placed his hand on Howdy's cheek.

"Well...shall we begin now?" Von asked. He stared into Howdy's terrified eyes. "Like I zaid, we won't hurt your body. But your mind..." Von slowly turned his gaze to the enclosure, smirking at Blocky, who was looking on in horror. "Zat is a whole different ztory."

As if realizing exactly what Von had in mind, Howdy began to let out muffled screams of protest. His struggling increased in vigor. If the chair were made of lighter material, the zoner would probably be knocking it from side to side right now. But just in case, he'd have Terry do something about it.

Ignoring the zoner's quieted pleas, Von picked up the chair, easily transferring the small zoner to where he wanted him to be. He carried him towards the hallway. He looked over his shoulder, staring towards Terry. He gestured towards the enclosure. Even without saying a word, the woman acted right away. She walked over towards the enclosure to fetch Howdy.

"Where am I taking him?" She asked.

Von's smile spread across his face. "To the _freezer_."

sss

Blocky tried to struggle. He tried to twist his body around, make the woman let go of him. She would not relent. He didn't even dare try to bite her, lest he suffer the same fate as Howdy. As they approached the door, as he started to feel the chilling effects, dread spread through his body.

_No_... No, they couldn't do this to him. This wasn't right... Were they really this _heartless_...?

Blocky continued to writhe in the woman's arms. He ignored the pain of being rolled up like some old news paper. He tried to free one of his arms. Any of them. If he could just make her loosen her grip, then he may have a chance of escape. But no amtter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. His arms were firmly pinned against his body, pressed there by himself.

The woman continued her trek down the hallway. In front of her was Dr. Von Doktor. The man was leading them to his current destination. He was taking him to the freezer. Even without being in there, the zoner was already shivering, his body unable to control itself. He couldn't believe this was happening. Von... could he really be _this_ cruel? He was bad enough beore, but _now_...

The man stopped in front of the large, metal door. He set Howdy on the ground. Blocky watched the zoner hopefully, praying that the puppet could get free and stop these humans from what they were about to do. _Please_..he didn't want this... Blocky couldn't stop the tears of fear from dripping down his face.

Von stared down at Howdy in annoyance. Without saying a word or hesitation, he raised up his foot and pushed against Howdy. The chair went tumbling back and hit the ground in a thud. Blocky looked on in horror, hoping that his friend was all right. The puppet zoner let out a soft groan, but other than that, he didn't appear to be hurt. He managed to shoot a glare at Terry, who merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh don't complain." She said, raising a hand up as if she didn't understand what his problem was. "He will be fine." She pointed a finger at him. "It is _yourself_ I'd be more concerned about."

At this, Blocky tried to speak, but he stopped himself, knowing that anything he said could be used as a means of doing worse to him or his friend. He looked over at Von, feeling his heart tighten as the man opened up the door. Out pillowed a white cloud-like substance, the same stuff that would be present in an area that was super cold. His teeth chattered in resposne, feeling the chill _already_ creep along his skin from here.

Von motioned for Terry, his hands indicating the door. "Drop him in zere."

"And you are sure this is nonlethal? Need I remind you that we cannot..." Terry started to say.

"Don't worry, he won't die from ziz." Von turned to give an eerie smile at Blocky. "...but he'z going to _wish it did kill him_..."

Blocky felt his heart freeze at this, ice shooting through his body. He gulped and let out a few whimpers of protest. He got no looks of sympathy from his captors, and Howdy was unable to show any comfort to him while he was on the ground.

"And he won't be able to get out?" Now the woman's eyes were on the ground, the edge part where the door would be over once closed. "No chance of him sleeping through?"

"Not even remotely. Zee door is _airtight_. He would never be able to get out. Bezides..." Von took a moment to look at Blocky in the eyes. There was a brief reflection of knowing in there, as if the man was sending him a silent message. "...he'z going to be a little too..._busy_, if you know what I mean."

Terry nodded her head. "Yeah, I suppose you're right on that." Replied Terry. "So let's get this show on the road."

His heart pounding against his chest, Blocky tried to get himself free. He was unable to do anything, totally helpless, as the red-haired woman carried him nonchalantly over to the door. As soon as she reached it, she unfolded him, holding him up painfully by his head.

Squirming and thrashing in the air, trying to pry her hands off, he pleaded, "_No! Please! Not this! No_!"

Ignoring him completely, Terry threw him into the room. The small zoner crashed into the ground painfully. He whimpered as the ground was so cold, it was nearly burning. He scrambled up to his feet, meeting the cold gaze of the two humans. He rushed over slipping on the ice, but he was not fast enough.

The door was slammed in his face. He hit his head against it, staggering back. Darkness immediately descended upon him for a few seconds, making him unable to see anything. He rubbed his sore face as the cold began to swirl around his body. He trembled, wrapping his arms around himself. He looked around, trying to see what his surroundings were like.

A sudden flash of light above him illuminated the room. He raised up a hand, gritting his teeth as he tried to adjust to the light. Despite the brightness that was now bestowed upon him, this did little to provide any kind of warmth.

All around him were shelves of various items that needed to be frozen. He wasn't sure what they were. Some appeared to be food, but maybe that was just his imagination. There was a thin sheet of ice on multiple places, including the ground itself. Some snow-like substance clung to the walls, and icicles hung from the ceiling, some of them so long that he'd run into them if he weren't careful.

The zoner walked towards the middle of the room, taking in where he was and his predicament. He could see the gust of white, realizing that more cold air was being pumped into here. He could already feel the incredibly low temperatures plummet further, making him rub himself to try to generate some kind of friction heat.

Looking up, he could see a few cameras placed in here. About four. No matter where he went, there was a camera in place, watching his every move. He glared at the cameras, but there was little energy to it. He didn't have enough strength to be defiant, the cold zapping him of his strength.

Blocky lowered himself to the ground, positioning himself in front of the door where the temperatures were at their highest. That wasn't saying much, though. He curled up against the wall, shivering hard, his teeth chattering. Despite his efforts to stay warm, he could already feel his core body temperature dropping _rapidly_. It was at this time that he realized that his incredibly thin body was about to become his greatest enemy.

sss

Rudy didn't know how long he had been hugging his aunt. He didn't know how long he had been shedding tears of joy. All he was aware of was holding onto the woman, pressing his face against her shoulder. He could feel her arm gently rubbing his back, whispering soft words to him. Rudy would feel Sophie holding onto him, hugging his legs, as if she understood just what this moment meant to him.

He wondered if he was dreaming. He was so tempting to pinch himself to offer himself some kind of reassurance that everything happenign right now was a real, and not some kind of dream. A part him expected to wake up at any moment, drowning out any hope of this being real. But the other... The longer he held onto his aunt, the more convinced he became that this was reality.

Positive emotion began to well up inside of him, creating a burning sensation. But a good kind, one that filled him with excitement, even energy to fuel his motivation to find his lost friend and the portal. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face, the grin almost reaching insanity levels. He couldn't help it. The emotion was just _rushing_ through him like a _tsunami_, and it was carrying him with it.

"Thank you... Thank you _so much_..." He choked out, sniffling loudly.

His aunt didn't answer him. She instead responded by holding him a little tighter. Rudy nuzzled Aunt Tilly against her shoulder, ignoring the tears that were staining her shirt. He continued to hold on, wanting to prove to himself that this was really happening.

His aunt... She understood. She appeared to _finally_ understand... She had retracted her earlier statement of revealing this to his parents. He..he couldn't begin to tell her just how happy that made him feel. His body was doing all the talking for him, with his increased heart rate and the excitement, the energy running through his nerves. If he had to run a marathon he would be able to do that in a heartbeat.

Finally, after the long, grueling days that passed, it seemed that the situation with his aunt was finally coming to a close. The danger of ChalkZone being revealed by a family member was coming to an end. If his aunt was true to her words...and she was. He knew her long enough to know how sincere she was being. The fact that she was being sincere about this only further fueled the energy that was making him feel giddy.

He didn't know what made her change her made. He didn't now what the clincher was. He had tried so much to get her to change her mind, and here she did it _on her own_... What happened while she was down here? What entered her mind and made her realize that what she was doing was wrong? At the moment, he didn't care to know. Right now, he just wanted to celebrate this moment.

After what felt like several more minutes, he broke free from his aunt. The two of them looked at each other in the eyes, smiling. Rudy looked over and saw Sophie moving to his side. She gave him her classic smile before she went up to him and hugged him again, the side of her face pressed against him. Rudy, unable to resist, hugged her back, locking her in a comforting hug.

"As I told you..." Rudy looked up at his aunt as she started to speak. "It wasn't easy to come up with the decision, and a part of me is still in doubt.." Aunt Tilly lowered her gaze, fumbling with her fingers. "I can't explain exactly _how_ I came to this conclusion, but..I did feel bad about how sad I was making you..and I started to wonder if telling your folks really was the best thing. But I also had to think of my sister..._and_ your dad.."

Rudy let go of Sophie and looked up at his aunt, nodding his head in understanding. "It's okay, Aunt Tilly. I know what you mean." Aunt Tilly looked down at him expectantly. "It's not easy for me to keep this a secret from my parents. I know that if they ever find out, they would be _hurt_." He lowered his head, feeling guilt wash over him. "I don't do it to hurt them, though. I just..want to keep this place safe. I want them to know I still trust them..." He looked up at his aunt. "And..despite our.._misgivings_ earlier..." He winced as he remembered when his aunt had struck him. "I still trust you as well. Please...don't take me hiding this world as evidence that I don't trust you. You're my aunt. I _always_ will trust you."

Aunt Tilly smiled at him. She lowered herself down and pulled her nephew into a hug. "I'm sure you do, Rudy..." She moved away from him and placed her hand on his shoulders. "You know..I may never fully understand this world and why it must be kept secret. But... you're right." She stroked his brown hair gently. "I was the one who didn't trust enough. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize that."

Rudy's smile broadened. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault." He pressed himself against her, feeling the warmth of her arms wrap around him. "I'm just glad we finally have this settled."

"Me, too." Replied Aunt Tilly.

Rudy continued to hold onto his aunt for a few more moments, further cementing that things were finally turning for the better. Only after a few minutes did he release her. He kept quiet, taking a few moments to let all of this truly sink in.

However, the moment of happiness didn't last forever. His aunt looked at him with concern as his smile faded. She attempted to ask him what was wrong, but Rudy kept his mouth clenched shut. He turned his back to her, taking a few steps away from her. He could feel Sophie tugging on him. He pulled his hand away from her, letting out a soft grunt. He felt bad for the way he was acting right now, but for the moment, he just...needed a little breathing room.

There was still the situation with Blocky and the portal. Even though his aunt had said she would not reveal ChalkZone to his parents, that only removed one problelm. There were others he needed to take care of first. He had to find that portal.._and his friend_. They were both out there, somewhere, waiting for him, for someone. He had no idea what was going on with Blocky. _If he had been taken by Terry and Von_...

He knew what his next destination had to be. There was only one move left he had now. He needed to head back into ChalkZone. He needed to find his friends and figure out a game plan.

But...would it be enough? Would they be able to come up with a plan that would take them to where the portal and Blocky were? If only there was some kind of clue... He could try looking outside, look around the house... But that wouldn't do him much good. There was little reason to suspect that he'd find any clues there. He needed something else. Perhaps one of the zoners might have... No, they had been looking and he heard nothing knew from Penny. But he refused to give up. There had to be _something_ that he could do.

If anything happened to Blocky or ChalkZone, he'd never forgive himself. It was his duty to keep that place safe and he..he almost blew it all sky high. And even if his aunt wasn't going to tell his parents this time, though he still had some wariness about the whole thing, that didn't change the fact that there was an _open portal somewhere_, and the fact that it very well could be in the clutches of those..._those criminals_...

"Rudy, dear...what is it?" He heard his aunt say.

Rudy turned to face her. He gave her a soft expression, etched in worry. This was enough to make her widen his eyes, and she took a step back as she appeared to realize what was going through the boy's head. Silently, he turned away from her, and stared up towards the stairs.

What was he going to do if they still had found no clues? Where would they begin? Sure, there was that lab that he was taken to before. But there was no guarantee that Von would use that same place again. He might have found a different location. And even if he was still there, he couldn't forget that Von realized that children bypassed his security system. He may have beefed it up to ensure that none of them would be able to get in.

And then there was the chance that Von was not responsible for Blocky's disappearance. If Rudy spent all this time breaking into a place, only to find who he was looking for _wasn't_ there... He could feel his stomach burn. He would hate to waste time like that. Blocky could be in serious danger. If he...

"Rudy." Aunt Tilly placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you are worried. I can see it in your eyes." She turned Rudy around, forcing him to look at her. He could feel his shoulders being gently squeezed. He looked up at her, locking eye contact with her. "I may not understand why you feel the need to do this... But...if it's important to you, then it's important to me."

Rudy lowered his head. He gave a soft sniffle, a few tears forming in his eyes. "I just..hope he's okay..."

Aunt Tilly lowered herself onto her knee. She reached over and gently stroked away a tear from his eyes. "It's all right. You'll find him... I know you will."

"And the portal..." Rudy said, keeping his head turned away from her. "If I don't find it... So many zoners..they might.."

"Don't worry, Rudy. I'm sure you'll be able to figure all of this out. You're a _smart boy_. I _know_ you can do it." Aunt Tilly pulled Rudy into another hug. She rested her chin on his head, gently patting him on the back. "Don't give up. Keep on trying. You can do it, Rudy. You'll find a way."

Rudy smiled at this, hugging his aunt back. Again, he found himself encased in her arms. Again he could feel Sophie cuddling up with him. The smile never left his face. The bitterness began to leave, replaced with a burning sensation of determination. "Yeah...you're right..."

Rudy knew that his aunt was right. He would be able to do this. He never gave up before, and he wasn't about to start now. He faced tough challenge in the past, and he managed to rise above them. Even in situations where it looked like there was no way out, he found something to light the way. The situation may look dire right now, but he mustn't lose faith in himself. He must keep trying. He had to do it, for the same of his friend..._and for the sake of ChalkZone_.

He swore to himself, if those bastards did anything to hurt his friend...he will make them pay. He may not be violent enough to hurt them, but he would not show them mercy. They would be dealt with like the criminals they were. He would ensure their proper place in prison. _Terry and Von_... He hoped they were enjoying their final moments of freedom... because if they hurt his friend, if they tortured him, it will be the last bits of freedom they will _ever_ have. He didn't know how he was going to get them arrested, but he'd find a way. He wouldn't even have to try; he trusted that they would slip up on their own.

But enough thinking about that. He wouldn't be able to do anything unless he tried to find them. He looked at his aunt expectantly, hoping that she will not try to bar him from that world. If she understood how he felt, then she would let him go. Looking into her eyes, he could see no sign of protest, and a warm sensation filled up his stomach.

"I take it you want to go back into ChalkZone?" Aunt Tilly asked.

Rudy nodded his head. "I need to catch up with my friends."

"...all right then..." Rudy smiled at this, glad that his aunt really was being understanding this time. Aunt Tilly closed her eyes. "I can't stop you, and I won't try. I know how much this world means to you." She reopened them, smiling gently at her nephew. "Just..do me one favor."

"What is it?" Asked Rudy.

"Do be _careful_." Aunt Tilly stroked his hair gently, running her fingers through. "And _watch your step_."

Rudy smiled. "Don't worry. I will."

sss

Howdy tried to scream as loud as he could. He tried to make his words heard. He tried to call out to his friend. He watched in horror, his eyes unable to tear away from the video screen. He couldn't even turn his head, even if he wanted to. He could feel the evil man's grip on him, forcing him to look at the screen, forced him to watch the horrific scene playing out before him.

On the screen, he could see Blocky. The poor green zoner was curled up in a ball against the door. He was shivering violently, fighting to keep some kind of warmth. He could see the zoner's breath every time he inhaled and exhaled. He was rubbing himself frantically, desperately trying to create some kind of warmth for himself. Once in a while, Blocky would look up at one of the cameras, and Howdy could feel his heart skip a beat. The look in his eyes... he looked so..._desperate_... So _devoid of energy_...

_No_.. This couldn't be happening. What were these monsters doing to him? Why would they put him through this much pain and misery? Blocky didn't deserve this.

But there was little he could do to protest. His jaws had been tied shut. He couldn't speak a word. He couldn't even scream or get his captors' attention. Terry and Von stood beside him, and they didn't bother to look down at him. Their eyes were solely on the cameras, watching their friend suffer like it was some source of grand entertainment. _How disgusting_...

Howdy noticed there were some monitors along the walls. They were measuring the life readings of his friend, he realized. He didn't know much about anatomy, but he still flinched when he saw the readings on the machines. They just seemed so..._low_... And they were decreasing as time passed. Another machine noted the temperature. Howdy stifled a shocked intake of breath when he noted just how low the temperature was in there. It was _twenty degrees_, and it was _still_ dropping.

He struggled against his binds, hoping that, by some miracle, he'd be able to get out. He jerked himself from side to side. He tugged at his arms and legs. He tried to get something free. Yet all he managed to do was nearly pull one of his muscles. He hissed and let out a soft whimper. His heart stung when he realized he couldn't escaped from this. All his time as a performer did little to prepare himself for this kind of situation.

He looked out in front of him, unwillingly watching as his friend was being tortured before his eyes. He was horrified when he saw Terry, on Von's prompting, turn the knob down, lowering the temperature further. He could practically hear his friend's pitiful gasps and teeth chattering as he tried whatever he could to keep warm. And the vital signs just kept on dropping.

What was this man trying to prove? Why was he doing this to Blocky? _What was the point_? This was just..plain _cruel and heartless_... They were nearly freezing Blocky to _death_ and all for what? _Learning_?

He turned his eyes up and stared at Von bitterly. The man wore a sickening smile, staring at the monitors in satisfaction. The fact that this man was actually pleased with this... It was sickening. He wished he could do something to teach this man a lesson, but his current predicament and fear prevented him from even trying. He hoped that this man and his partner would get what was coming to them.

To his horror, Blocky appeared to be taking on a worse condition. He was getting up now, and he was trying to move around. But his movements... They were so slow, so _inhibited_... His eyes were unfocused, and he couldn't tell if the zoner could still see clearly. He stumbled forward, his legs easily giving out below him. Howdy felt tears form in his eyes as he saw just how badly his friend was suffering. The cold's effects were becoming very apparent on him. _And then when Blocky's shaking started to lose energy_...

Howdy screamed into his gag...or rather, he tried to. All he could manage was a few loud groans of protest. He tried to be as loud as he could, even in spite of the gag. His attempts at getting their attention paid off when he felt one of them strike him. It was Terry.

"_Shut up_!" Terry hissed at him. "Be glad that he _isn't_ going to _die_ from this!"

Howdy glared hatefully at her. He grumbled into his gag, showing her that he had no intention of being quiet. This infuriated Terry. She looked like she was ready to striek him when she was stopped by Von, who raised his hand up.

"Now now, let'z not be too hasty. Zee little creature iz juzt worried about hiz little _friend_." Von said in a cool, calm voice. Howdy winced at just how collected he could be when someone's life was on the line. "I assure you, Howdy, everyzing iz going to be _fine_. We will let your friend out when zee experiment iz over."

Howdy tried to speak, but his voice remained silenced. However, Von appeared to understand what hew as trying to say.

"Just a few more minutez. I want to zee how much cold he can take." Von looked nonchalantly at the cameras, showing no real concern as Blocky collapsed back into the ground. "It won't be too much longer. Judging from ziz, he haz a little more time left."

Howdy muffled in protest. He struggled against the ropes holding him down. He tried to free himself, tried to get over to his friend, who was in big trouble. He had to get out of here. He just had to...

Suddenly, he found himself falling back into the ground. The force was so sudden and great that he tried to let out a scream, only to be hampered by the ropes on his jaws. He looked up and he saw Terry glaring down at him, holding her hands into fists. The only thing holding her back was Von, who had a hand on her shoulder and was glaring softly at her. This did little to stop Terry from giving off a few threats to him to be quiet.

Howdy fell silent. Not from fear of what Terry was going to do to him, but from worry over Blocky. He looked up at the monitor. Though it was hard to see from this angle, he could tell that his condition was entering the critical mode. He couldn't help but shed some more tears. When were these monsters going to let him out? Was Blocky going to be _permanently_ damaged from all of this? Blocky... He had to be okay...

Howdy gave off a frightened whimper when he saw Howdy's expression. He barely had enough energy to turn his head to look at the cameras now, and when he did, Howdy could see just how..._dead_ he looked. He was losing much of his color, the cold practically forming ice along his skin. His shivering was _very_ weak now, hardly detectable. Howdy shouted in his gag the best he could, trying to get Blocky to keep his eyes open, even though he would never be able to hear him from in here.

Blocky looked as if he was trying to find someone. He was blinking his eyes a few times, looking left and right. He attempted to climb back up to his feet. It was useless; his legs were no longer strong enough to hold his weight. He slipped down, and fell onto his knees. He lowered his head and appeared to groan, though without sound, it was hard to tell. Blocky turned again to the camera, his droopy eyes filling with horror. He gave off a silent plea, hoping that his captors would show some mercy on him. Howdy was glad that Blocky did not see the uncompassionate looks that these humans were giving him.

Then, to Howdy's horror, Blocky appeared to give out. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and he collapsed on the ground. Howdy struggled in his chair, letting out a series of muffled cries, begging Blocky to get up. But the zoner remained motionless on the ground. Even the shivering had _stopped_. The _only_ signs of life were the very _shallow_ breathing he could just _barely_ detect.

"Hmm...that went faster than expected..." Terry's voice had a tone of disappointment in it, much to Howdy's disgust. "I was hoping it would be a little longer."

"I wazn't zurprized. Zee zoner waz _very thin_... Zere waz no way he could keep much body heat in him for long. I am more zurprized zat he lazted az long az he did." Von walked towards the screen. He put his hand over it, running his fingertips lightly across the screen. "I will write ziz down in my notez." He turned his head to the red-haired woman. "Go and get zee zoner back in hiz enclosure."

Terry looked down at Howdy. "What about _him_?"

"Leave him with me." Dr. Von Doktor said. "I will need to zpeak to him and ensure zat we are _ztill_ on agreement. I wouldn't want him getting any ideaz on zaving hiz little friend."

Terry looked a little annoyed. It was clear that she had a better idea on what they could do. But she didn't seem all that interested in arguing with the man. She looked down at Howdy, giving him a scowl as she righted him up, placing the chair back in its original orientation. Howdy flinched as he looked into Terry's angered eyes. He let out a soft mumble and nothing more. He listened to the woman leave, and in seconds, it was just him and Von.

He looked over at the man, who stood in front of the monitors now, a notebook in his hand as he wrote down all the vital readings of his friend. Howdy couldn't believe how calm he could be during this. He had nearly killed his friend, and all he was worried about were some statistics? Howdy could feel his stomach burning up. If only he could get himself free...

After a few minutes, Von appeared to be done with the note taking. He stuffed it in his pocket and he turned to smile at Howdy. He folded his arms behind his back and he approached him slowly.

"Your friend really iz quite _amazing_. I didn't expect him to lazt zat long." Von said in a soft voice. He walked around Howdy, positioned himself behind the puppet zoner. "Truly a remarkable zpezimen. Of courze I need to be a little more careful..." Von showed the notebook to Howdy, pointing to one of the life readings that were very low. "_I almozt lozt him_..."

Howdy glared at the man and tried to shout at him. His attempts were in vain. All the man did in response was chuckle at him. Howdy watched as the man walked away. The man glanced back over at the monitor, smiling darkly.

Howdy found himself staring at the screen. He could see Blocky still laying there, his body still covered in those..those things that helped the man to monitor him on some level. Blocky's skin was so pale now, it was almost white. The sight of this horrified Howdy. He found himself struggling more when he saw Terry walk into the room.

"Ah, lookz like she made it already." Commented Dr. Von Doktor.

Howdy was helpless as he watched Terry pick up Blocky, making no attempt to be gentle. She slung him over her shoulder. Howdy flinched at how rigid he was, almost like he was partially frozen. And were those..._red marks_...? Howdy's eyes snapped open in shock when he realized that there was ice in that room. Frozen Real World water...

"Perhapz using a freezer waz not zee bezt idea." Von appeared to notice this as well. He didn't sound particularly worried about it. "Well, at leazt it didn't eat away too much of him." Turning his attention to Howdy, he said, "You are not going to leave here juzt yet."

Howdy narrowed his eyes. If this man was thinking of doing the same thing to him...

"I need you to get your friend zere warmed up."

Howdy stared at the man in shock. He was going to let him stay with Blocky? While Howdy did want to leave this place and get away from these awful people, he also didn't want to leave Blocky here alone. After what happened to him, the poor guy deserved some comforting. Glaring softly at the man, he gave a slow nod of the head.

"I knew you would agree. I know how much you wanted to zee your friend...without being blocked of course." Von said. "Now, I'll take you down zere, but only if you do not attempt to ezcape. Do zo, and I will..." His voice trailed off, as if he had forgotten what he was going to say.

Howdy spoke the best he could in a muffled voice, "I...understand..."

Although his words were heavily muffled and distorted, it was enough for the man to understand. "_Good_..." With that, the man began to untie Howdy. With the final ropes undone, minus the ones on his head, Howdy climbed out of the chair and lowered his head in submission. "Come along with me..."

sss

Howdy did his best to hold back his tears. He stared down at the prone form of his friend. He had only recently started to shiver again, but he still lacked so much energy. And the low, constant whimpers... Howdy kept himself over Blocky's body, trying to provide him with as much body heat as he could.

Blocky's skin was so _cold_... So _icy_.. Even when he tried to warm him up by rubbing his back, it didn't seem to do anything to change how his skin felt. It was as though ice had been pumped into his friend's body, completely replacing the blood. The only thing that comforted Howdy was the fact that Von did offer a heating blanket to help get his core body temperature back up. That was as much credit as he could give him, though.

The poor zoner was covered in several small burns. Some of them had bled a little. The room he was trapped in had _a lot_ of frozen Real World water in it. Even if it didn't soak all the way through, the effects were very obvious. Poor Blocky... It must have been like standing on _hardened lava_. He couldn't imagine the pain he must have been through...

Howdy tried not to let his anger towards the man get to him. He couldn't focus on that now. He did his best to forget that he was trapped with Blocky at the moment. He tried to forget that he and Blocky were being watched by Von and Terry. He tried to ignore the eyes that were boring straight through him. For the moment, he focused on Blocky, whispering soft, comforting words to him.

He couldn't tell if Blocky was that much aware of what was going on. He seemed to almost forget where he was. His eyes were looking around, but he barely had any recognition in them. Howdy bit his lip at this. He wondered how long this confusion was going to last. He wished he knew what to do for Blocky. He never had to help someone with _hypothermia_ before...

"Oh don't you worry. _He'll be fine_." Terry said in her cold voice. Howdy glared at her, watching her stare at him with her arms folded against her chest. "By tomorrow, he'll have regained some of his strength. You are _more than welcome_ to stay the night here if you are so worried about him."

Howdy didn't bother to answer her. With a snarl, he shifted his head away from her, trying to pretend that she wasn't there. But he knew he couldn't forget that. As much as he wanted to, the reality of where he was made itself known all around him.

He listened to the whimpers of his friend. He could feel his body shivering underneath him, wrapped around in that electric blanket. The setting was on low. Something about how you shouldn't heat up someone with hypothermia too quickly. Howdy didn't know if this was true or not, but he did not want to mess around with the settings and risk hurting his friend. He cuddled up with Blocky, hoping that he would regain some of his strength soon.

He could hear footsteps approaching. He let out a soft growl, no longer stopped by the ropes around his head, which were removed along with the cloth gag. He turned his head, baring his teeth as he watched Von approach.

Couldn't this man leave them alone? Couldn't he provide them with some sense of privacy? Why did he have to torment them while Blocky was recovering?

Dr. Von Doktor merely smiled down at them, showing now indication he felt remorse for what he had done. This irritated Howdy further. He wanted to say something to him, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he positioned himself in front of his friend, a weak attempt to shield him from the man's sights.

Behind him, Howdy could hear a soft groan. He looked behind and saw that Blocky had raised up his head. He was fully awake now..or at least, as awake as his condition would let him be. His unfocused eyes seemed to finally realize where he was, and when he saw Von, he let out a whine. Devoid of any energy, but still managing to be filled with so much emotion. It made Howdy's eyes water.

"You've been zuch a _good zport_." Dr. Von Doktor said. He pulled out a small piece of paper, reading it. Howdy recognized it as the results from before. "Very interezting resultz... But you know... Ziz remindz me of zomething else." He took a few steps towards the enclosure. "I now know what you are capable of in zee cold. Which izn't much. But with zat zin body of yourz..." He grinned nastily and he tilted his head to one side. "...how are you in the _heat_...?"

Blocky's eyes widened and he let out a series of weak whimpers. Howdy held onto him, doing his best to comfort him. He shot a hateful glare at the scientist, who merely chuckled and walked away.


	20. Deadends

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 20: Deadends

_**Twists and turns, twists and turns. Careful which way you go, for life is filled with so many ways to make you stop moving.**_

sss

Howdy couldn't believe he had left Blocky behind. He had been offered to stay the night, but instead he chose to _leave_... Well it wasn't like he was staying away forever. He simply wanted to get some more water for the test that Blocky was going to be forced to take. If that monster was going to put his friend through _heat_... Well Howdy might not be able to stop it, but he can lessen the effects afterwards.

He just hoped that Blocky would be okay alone for a few hours. He had been so scared and frightened... And he felt so bad about leaving him at that dreadful place. He promised that he'd be back as soon as he could, and the fiends did promise not to hurt him until he got back.

Howdy would go back quicker. It wouldn't take that long to get the water. But he had a sneaking suspicion that his actions were drawing attention, and he needed to make himself look less suspicious. He remembered how he had been forced to knock away Rapsheeba and knock out Penny. Neither actions he was proud of. But it was either that, or something worse would happen. He'd hate to think of how angry those humans would be if he dragged someone else with him.

Besides, the zoners would understand, right? If they learned the truth about what was going on, after all this was over, they'd understand..or so he hoped. He bit his lip, realizing that some of the zoners might not be too happy with him regardless.

That didn't stop him from heading back towards ChalkZone City. If anyone stopped him...well he was certain he could think of some kind of lie to tell them to ward them off for the time being. He hated having to do that, but he knew he had to in order to keep the humans from... He hated to think what might happen if he screwed this up.

At least the forest was pretty quiet. He was glad. He needed some quiet time after all that happened. As he walked through, looking left and right, he started to feel a bit at ease. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was feeling some sense of calmness.

He knew it was just smoke and mirrors, however. The calm, tranquil forest hid the true horrors that were going on. They weren't enough to make him fully forget what he had been through, or what he had seen. Nothing, not even time itself, could erase the horrible images that were being plastered in his head. He could still see Blocky squirming on the ground, fighting against the cold that was _slowly zapping away his life_, the cruel expressions on Von and Terry's faces...

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those thoughts. At least for now, Blocky was at peace. He was being warmed up, and the two adults had promised not to do anything else to him for the rest of the day. That gave Blocky several hours before the next experiment. That was hours of relatively pain-free moments where he could relax...at least as much as he could given the circumstances. Howdy was worried that they wouldn't live up to their promise, but he tried not to think about it. He instead did his best to focus on getting out of the forest and into ChalkZone City, which was still a bit aways.

He continued his trek through the forest, trying to keep himself calm. He didn't want to end up drawing attention from any zoner he might come across here. The last thing he needed was to try to deal with even more people. It was hard enough with two, but...

Suddenly he stopped. He stared out ahead with an almost blank expression. His eyes slowly widened, a sensation creeping through his body. He realized that something was really _wrong_.

There hadn't been _any_ other zoners around here. At least, so far.

He looked left and right, tried to listen, but heard nothing. Even as he traversed through the parts of the forest that he knew were populated, he didn't see anything. He bit his lip, feeling a sense of nervousness rise up inside of him. Was there a reason why the forest was so quiet and empty?

Gritting his teeth, he tried to keep his racing mind relatively calm as he attempted to figure out what he should do. He didn't know what this could mean. Since Terry and Von had a piece of magic chalk now, did they use it for something without him knowing about it? Terry had said they were going to save it for later, but...how could he possibly believe _her_? How did he know what she didn't just went back on her word and used it for... _something_. He couldn't think of anything off hand, but he was certain there was plenty of terrible things she could use it for.

Perhaps Terry was the reason why there weren't any zoners here. Maybe she had used the magic chalk to do something here. He knew just how powerful the magic chalk was in the hands of a human. He had seen what Rudy could do with it. He could just imagine what someone with _ill intentions_ with the magic chalk was _capable of_...

A sweeping motion of cold energy flowed through his small body, making him look around again, trying to find any sign of whatever was going on. He took in a few quick breaths, taking a step back. What was going on here? Why was it so quiet?

He nearly jumped when he heard a loud sound. He swerved his body around towards the source, tensing up as he prepared to make a run for it. With gritted teeth, he shifted his eyes from side to side.

"Okay, who is there?" Howdy said. When he didn't get an answer right away, he continued, "I know you're there. _Come on out_!"

Still nothing. The puppet zoner's body froze with more tension. He could feel his heart rate speeding up. Someone was here, watching him, and he couldn't even see them. Where were they? Were they hiding the trees? Were they underground? _Were they invisible_? He clenched his teeth tigether, feeling them nearly pop out of his mouth.

Then he saw a flash of movement. Blurry and yellow. He jerked his head towards it, trying to get a vision on it. Nothing. Then another blurry flash. He turned his head again, this time, catching the glimpse of something small. Finally, a third time allowed him to get the thing in his field of vision longer, and he followed it around, ignoring the ache the rapid eye movements were causing him. He soon found the source.

_A bird_... It was just a _bird_... Howdy watched as a small, fluffy yellow bird began to feed her babies. Giving a small smile, the zoner let out a sigh of relief. This must have been what he heard. Just the chirping of this bird. He wiped his brow.

After seeing the bird, he started to see a couple more animal zoners. Not many of course, just a tiny handful. He could see a large cat-like zoner walking out in the distance, and he could see a squirrel zoner scurry up a tree. So this forest wasn't abandoned like he had thought. This realization brought a smile to his face and he couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. All the tension that had guilt up inside of him shot out through his arms, and he resumed his walking.

For a brief second, just very short, he did feel as though someone was watching him. It felt as though there was a set of eyes on him, crawling up his back. He managed to calm himself down, telling himself that he was just overreacting.

However, he did know that his relaxation was only short-lived. He still had to get into ChalkZone City, hoping that Rapsheeba and Penny hadn't spread the word about what he did. They were his friends, and he felt somewhat safe that they wouldn't. But... the fact that they were friends... They might feel more inclined to... He shook it off, knowing that his active imagination was not going to do much to help him right now.

He continued to walk forward, heading towards his destination. It didn't seem like it took much longer before he was out of the forest and onto the familiar open plains. And up in the distance, he could make out the first details of the city. He would be there shortly. He paused for a moment, preparing himself for what he might encounter in there. Then, with a soft sigh, he pressed on.

To his surprise, he didn't really see many zoners out here. Then again, he shouldn't really be that surprised. This was not related to Terry or Von, he knew. It was always like this around this time. The zoners were merely busy, and if he recalled correctly, there was some kind of celebration going on in the middle of the city. So the zoners wouldn't really be gathered around the outside so much, nor would there be too much going on out here anyway. During other times, yeah there might be, but not right now.

Still, when he entered the city, he did his best to be cautious. He didn't want anyone to spot him and potentially cause trouble. On the offhand that his friends did tell someone, or that there was a witness, or that his earlier behavior gave off the wrong vibes, he had to be careful when moving through. So he kept himself in the shadows, moving through the alleyways to get to the store where he needed to go.

He froze for a moment. How was he going to get the water without causing much of a ruckus? For all he knew, all the store clerks here knew what was going on with him. Perhaps a disguise was in order... But there was nothing around here. Nothing _except_...

In one of the nearby garbage cans, he did see something handing out of it. It was some kind of cloth. Old and tattered, some kind of cleaning rag. For the average zoner, it wasn't anything that spectacular or big. Probably a medium at most, small at best. But for Howdy, it was just large enough to be used as a cloak. As much as he hated the idea of wearing something so filthy, he did need something to help hide his face and make it less likely for him to run into problems.

Ignoring the awful smell, he took the cloth, batted it around to clear it of at least some of the filth, and wrapped it around him. He tied the torn pieces around himself and managed to create a hood of some kind, hiding his head from prying eyes. Once he got himself all ready, he continued his walk, still keeping to the shadows just in case.

After moving through the alleyways, hearing some random zoner chatter once in a while, Howdy soon came across the street that he needed to be on. Deciding to take a chance and walk out in the open, knowing that this was the fastest way to get to where he needed to go.

He was soon out on the street. He adjusted his hood again, pulling it even further over his face and made sure it covered most of his body. He then resumed walking down the street, his eyes focused towards the store that he needed to go to. It wasn't very large, but it did have the best water that he could find. Better than the water he had gotten before. And they had some resiliant ice, too. Something about how the creator wanted to design ice that didn't melt as fast or something. That's just what Blocky was going to need after he suffered from heat stroke.

Before he could even get to the store, however, he was stopped when he overheard some voices not far away from him. He tried to ignore them, but when they started to mention his name, he found it difficult to move on. He stopped where he was, and listened intently. He did not dare move his head, lest he draw unwanted attention.

"Did you hear what happened earlier? Howdy knocked away Rapsheeba!"

"I thought they were _friends_. Why would he do something like that?"

"I don't know. But I tell you, it probably isn't good."

"Oh you and your _conspiracy theories_..."

"But this is true! I saw the way that guy was acting earlier. He..."

"Well I did try to organize some zoners to talk to him, but Snap, Rapsheeba, and Penny didn't want my help. Bunch of _idiots_ if you ask me."

"Well maybe they..."

"Oh _shut up_!"

Howdy winced at those voices. The one that scared him the most was the gruff-sounding female, who seemed like she was more hostile than the others. He didn't dare turn his head, afraid that if they saw him, they would immediately come after. Instead, swallowing hard, he continued his trek towards the store. It wouldn't be too long before he reached it. Then this would all be over.

"Hey! It's _him_!" One of the voices called out.

Howdy froze in his tracks. He didn't move, or even dared to breathe. There was an awkward, tense silence, and then finally he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Just a few, maybe three, but each one sounded loud, piercing his ear drum.

"_By the creator, it is_..." It was that gruff female again. "_You there_! Turn around! We want to talk to you!"

Howdy turned his head slightly. He peaked at the zoners with one wide eye. He noticed that the group was a little larger than he thought, and all the zoners were larger than him. He bit his lip, wondering what he should do. Should he stay and try to talk or should he make a run for it?

For several tense moments, no one said a word. It was silent, and that silence felt heavy, weighing down on his shoulders. He gritted his teeth, his body shaking. He couldn't even move another muscle. It was as though someone shot his muscles full of ice, depriving him of any movement. And all those stares weren't helping... While some of the zoners merely looked surprised or confused, there were some, like the aggressive-sounding female, that were glaring more harshly at him. They stood out among the others, practically glowing.

"Shouldn't we tell Snap about this at least? I mean, he did have a trap all set up and..." One of the zoners, a meek-sounding male, completely the opposite of the female, spoke. His trembling voice was quickly cut off.

"_No_! Why should we? I know those two want to talk to their...friend... but we have him here right now. Why don't we talk to him for them?" The gruff female said.

Howdy's eyes widened at this. Snap was going to _trap him_? Snap, one of his friends? How..how could he do that to him? Well granted, he was acting rather strangely, but still.. The small zoner couldn't help but feel some sense of betrayal at this news. He could see him confronting him, but to actually _trap him like some kind of wild anima_l...

His thoughts were interrupted when the gruff female took another step forward. Clenching his teeth, he managed to force himself to take a step back away, trying to put some distance between her and him. Howdy didn't know what to expect, but he didn't think he could stay here for much longer. _The way the zoners here were looking at him_... The puppet zoner found himself backing away slowly, unable to stop the trembling of his own body.

"Please, do not make this harder on us." One of the other zoners said. "We just want to talk to you. Please stay..."

"Yeah. If something is wrong, you can tell us." Said another zoner.

Howdy simply shook his head. He took another step back, looking around for a place to run. He couldn't tell them. If he did...

"_Oh enough of this_!" The aggressive female formed a fist with her hand, raising it up. "Let's just get him! We'll _make_ him talk!"

Howdy let out a scream as the aggressive female suddenly charged towards him. Mere milliseconds later, the other zoners, including the meek male, took off with her. In just seconds, Howdy had a group of probably seven zoners or more coming after him. He barely had time to react. He took off running, _narrowly_ missing being grabbed.

Howdy rushed through the streets, moving as fast as his small body could carry him. He didn't dare look behind him. He could hear the angry and confused shouts of the zoners behind him, all of them demanding that he stop and talk to them.

He looked around, trying to find a place he could escape into. Where could he go to get away from them? He could try the alleyways, but that was too much of a gamble. The zoners would have a much easier time trapping him in there. Maybe another street? Perhaps, but he didn't know the city well enough to make those kinds of moves yet. He had always used the same streets. What if he took a wrong one and he got lost?

The small zoner did manage to keep in front of his pursuers, however. His small form allowed him to move a little quicker. But this would be short-lived, he knew. Some of the larger zoners could make bigger strides. It would only be a matter of time before one of them caught up to him.

And sure enough, they did. Howdy had to jump to the right to avoid getting grabbed by one of the taller zoners in the group. He looked up, noting the glare on his face as he moved faster to catch up with Howdy.

"_Stop running_!" He snarled. "_You are only making this more difficult for yourself_!"

Howdy didn't answer him. He pushed himself to go faster. Up ahead, he noticed the beginning of another street. Although he didn't want to, he knew he had no choice. It would buy him a little time at least. As soon as he was close enough, he made a sharp turn into this narrower street and ran out ahead. He could hear the sound of slipping and sliding and he knew that the tall zoner couldn't make a quick enough turn to keep up. It may not slow him down for long, but it still bought him a little bit of time.

Howdy continued to run as fast as he could down the street. He didn't know where it led, and he feared he would get lost. But at the moment, he didn't even begin to think about that. All he knew to do was get as far away from his pursuers as possible. Swallowing hard, he dared a look behind him.

His pursuers were getting closer. They all looked angry now, or perhaps it was just determination. He didn't see the meek male anywhere, and he assumed that he got lost from the group somehow, or perhaps got _trampled_, which was a probable case. He felt a pang of sorrow for the poor guy if that was the case, but he still didn't stop. He just kept running, hoping that, eventually, he'll get a break and gt away.

Howdy didn't know how long he had been running. He couldn't count how many streets he had raced down. He couldn't remember how many zoners he nearly ran into, or how many had joined in the chase. He could hear their shouts behind him, but they had long since clouded up in his head, making him unable to determine one shout from another.

Then he made a right turn and...

..._dead end_.

Howdy skidded to a stop when he realized he was about to hit a thick, stone wall. He stood there, gritting his teeth, horror plastering across his face. _No..this couldn't be possible_... The small zoner looked left and right, but it took him only seconds to realize the terrible truth.

He was trapped. Cornered like a wild animal. He turned himself around to face his pursuers. They weren't that far behind him, and they had slowed down their pace, knowing that they had him trapped. Howdy pressed his back against the wall, watching them in fear as they drew closer.

"No use running anymore. You are coming with us." The gruff female said.

Another zoner nodded her head. "You could have made this easier, but instead, you decided to run. Very bad move on your part, Howdy."

Howdy trembled, desperately looking for a way to escape. There was none. In desperation, he called out, "Y-You don't understand! You can't know... I have to..._please let me go_!"

The gruff female narrowed her eyes. "I am _sorry_, Howdy. But it's far too late for you to worm your way out of this. Now.._hold still_..."

Howdy bared his teeth defensively as the zoners closed in on him.

sss

It was so quiet. So quiet, that the sound of a drop of liquid, if there was any, would be heard for miles. The silence in the air was so thick, a knife could probably cut through and create a slice of emptiness, dense enough for anyone to hold. The silence seemed to be in stark contrast with the land. Nice, bright sun overhead, the swaying grass, the tall trees... Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

_So...why was it so quiet_?

Rudy tried to reason with himself why this was the case. The zoners could just be busy. Very possible. He tried his best to ignore this fact and continued to venture further into ChalkZone.

He looked around, trying to find somebody to talk to. There had to be someone else around here. Someone nearby. He needed to find a zoner and ask them what was going on, and hope that they found information on where Blocky might be. He also kept an eye out for Penny. Assuming that her mom was more reasonable, he expected that he would find her out here somewhere soon.

But as far as the eyes could see, he didn't see anyone. Not a single soul. Not that this area was that densely populated, but he usually would see at least one zoner, even if it was off in the distance. So _where_ was everyone? Why was it so empty here? There had to be a reason. He wanted to believe that they were just busy, but a part of him began to worry. That burning feeling rose up in his chest as he started to wonder if Terry and Von had a hand in this...

No, that was ridiculous. The effect would be more profound than this. Where were the reporters? The humans wanting a taste of this world? The people in the hazmats suits coming to study the zoners? Where were any of them? This was good enough evidence for Rudy to conclude that Terry and Von hadn't exposed ChalkZone yet. He was worried about why they might be delaying it, but for now, there was nothing he could do about it.

He listened to the dead silence all around him. He looked left and right, trying to find any inkling of someone still being there. While occassionally, he did see some bird zoners flying overhead, he did not see any sentient zoners walking around. Was there a celebration he had forgotten about? It was very well possible. He tried to chalk it up to that, and to not let his panicked imagination get the better of him.

After several minutes of walking, however, he couldn't help but feel a sting in his chest. He was not able to fully hold back the fear welling up inside of him. He found himself stopping and looking around. Something just didn't feel right around here. He wondered if...

"_Ahhhh_!"

Rudy jolted at that sound. He turned his head towards the city. He squinted his eyes when he thought he saw movement as he stood on top of the large hill. He put his hand over his eyes and tried to see out as far as he could. It was difficult to tell, and he could see so little thanks to the tall buildings. But he swore he could see...something. _What was going on_...?

Unable to take it anymore, the young boy bolted towards the city. He clutched the small piece of magic chalk in his hand, the same one he found when Aunt Tilly let him use the portable chalkboard again. It had been such a tight squeeze, but now he felt that was worth it. If he hadn't come here sooner..._who knows what would have happened_? He had to stop this before it was too late.

Rudy reached down and attempted to sketch out his rocket shoes. If he could just gain some leverage in the air, he would be able to see better and figure out a way to stop this chase or whatever the heck was going on. But before he could even finish the sketching, he felt something solid and warm hit against him.

"_Rudy_!" He heard Snap's familiar cry. "_Bucko! You're here! You have to help us_!"

Rudy slammed into the ground, letting out a soft grunt. He opened his eyes and stared at his friend, who was sitting on him now. Snap grabbed onto his shoulders, his eyes wide with fear. The zoner hardly acknowledged Rudy's absense, his mind clearly on other things.

Rudy felt a pang in his heart. What had his friend so spooked? If Snap were to act this way, then it meant something was wrong. His mind flashed back to all those times when Snap ran over to his portal in such a panicky state, and he felt a wave of horror. Was Snap referring to what was going on in the city? Was it _worse_ than he had imagined?

"Snap..you're...sitting on me..." Rudy grunted as he felt his friend's weight continuing to press down on his chest and stomach. Breathing was getting a little more difficult.

"_Oh, sorry_!" Snap crawled off of him. As soon Rudy was back on his feet, Snap grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the city. "Come on! You've gotta draw _something_!"

Rudy managed to pull his hand away from Snap. He rubbed his head. "Snap, what's going on here?" He looked out towards the city. "What's happening in there?"

Snap replied, "Howdy is being chased by an angry mob!"

"_What_?!" Rudy widened his eyes at this. He found it difficult to believe the words that were spoken, even if they came out of one of his best friends. "Why? What happened?"

"It would take me a little while to tell you, Bucko, but in short, some zoners, including myself, got suspicious of Howdy's behavior and we just wanted to talk, but then some zoners got it into their head to get to him first, and then he pushed Rapsheeba and knocked out Penny and..."

"Whoa, wait, _what_?" Rudy shut his eyes and waved his hands frantically out in front of him. He looked down at Snap, holding his hands out at his sides as he stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? Howdy did what? Why would he...?"

"Look, I don't know, Bucko." Snap looked towards the city, motioning a hand towards it. "All I do know is that if we don't get to Howdy soon, there's no telling what that crowd might do to him!" He looked up at Rudy, putting his hands close together. "Please, Rudy! You've got to _hurry_! I don't know how much longer Howdy can keep this up! I already helped him out of his first trap, but I don't know if I can repeat that success. _Please, he needs help_!"

Rudy removed where he was, frozen in shock. He tried to take in all that Snap had been telling him. He had trouble making sense of it all.

What would possess Howdy to do those things to Rapsheeba and Penny? Why would he knock Rapsheeba away? Why would he knock out Penny? Was he up to something? That didn't sound like Howdy. Maybe he was _hiding_ something? No, that also didn't sound like him. But something was going on, and he needed to find out what it was.

He felt a jab of anger in his stomach and chest. He could feel it spreading through his body. The thought of Howdy harming his own friends like that, including one of his closest ones, it was unbelievable. While he was certain that Howdy had his reasons and didn't mean any malice, he still had a lot to answer for. He hoped that Howdy had a good excuse for his actions.

He understood now why the zoners might be chasing him. Maybe they are misinterpreting Howdy's intentions and want to deal with him themselves. Maybe they are merely trying to talk to him, but Howdy is overreacting and trying to get away. Whatever the reason, though, Rudy knew he had to try to stop it before it went too far. Then, after he stopped it and got Howdy away, he could interrogate his friend and find out what was happening.

Rudy raised up his magic chalk and quickly drew a pair of rocket shoes. Turning towards Snap, he grabbed onto his friend, looping his hand across his body.

"_Hey_! What are you doing?" Snap cried in protest.

"I need you to tell me everything that has happened while I was gone!" Rudy cried as he activated his shoes. The hot flames shot out from underneath, letting him rise up into the air. "What else has been happening?"

As they rose higher into the air, Snap said, "Rudy, I understand the need to get all caught up but..." He gritted his teeth. "Do you think _this_ is the perfect time to do _that_?"

Rudy nodded his head curtly. "Yes."

"_But Rudy_..."

"Look, Snap! I know now might seem like a bad time! But I need to get caught up in the loop some more so I know how I'm going to reason with those zoners, and what I'm going to do after! I've been away for a while, and I need to get caught up with what has been happening here!" Rudy stopped himself, realizing he was using a bit too harsh of a tone. He rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry, Snap. Just..things have been happening left and right and..."

Snap nodded his head in understanding. "Don't worry about it, Bucko." He flinched when he heard another scream. He looked over at the city. "Now, let's hurry! I'll explain everything on the way."

Giving another swift nod, Rudy rose up a little higher. Holding his friend tightly with one arm, his magic chalk clutched in his right hand, he zipped over towards the city. He hoped that he would be able to get over in time before the zoners managed to do something they would live to regret. And he hoped that Howdy's reasoning for what he had done was justifiable.

He began to wonder. Was it possible that, whatever was going on with Howdy, had to do with what happened to Blocky...?

sss

"Ugh...what..what happened...?"

"Take it easy. You still need some rest."

Penny leaned up in the bed, her mind slowly taking in details of where she was. The familiar white coloration told her she was in the hospital, but when she saw that it was Rapsheeba whom she was with, she got confused. What was she doing in here? And why did her head suddenly hurt her so badly?

She rubbed her head, feeling as though someone took a hammer and slammed it against her. She tried to remember the details of what happened, but nothing came to mind. She was at a loss, her mind as muddled as the vision around her. Blurred, unable to make total sense of the size and shapes of everything. The only reason she knew Rapsheeba was here with her was mostly due to the sound of her voice.

She could feel Rapsheeba's hand on her arm. "Don't try to get out of bed. Relax."

"I-I wasn't trying to..." Penny hissed through her clenched teeth. What had happened to her? "Where am I...?"

"The ChalkZone City hospital." Answered Rapsheeba.

Penny managed to open up one eye. Her vision cleared up a little more. "_Wh-What_..? Why am I here..?"

"The Smooch brought you here." Rapsheeba said.

At this, Penny's eyes widened. Her vision nearly sharpened up completely at the memory of that name. _The Smooch_... The same creature that she and her friends had encountered months before. The one that caused her to make a total fool of herself. That thing was the one that helped her?

Rapsheeba noticed Penny's shock. With a small smile, she nodded her head slowly, confirming what she said, and answering Penny's unasked question. "Yeah. I'm just as surprised as you were." She held out her hand towards Penny. "But it was a good thing she brought you in. You were pretty badly hurt."

"B-B-But.. this is a ChalkZone hospital. How would...?"

Rapsheeba said, "Well the doctors weren't able to do much for you. It took a while to even stop the bleeding with chalk-based material. But don't worry, they managed to take care of it." Rapsheeba looked at Penny up and down, smiling softly. "You certainly look better than you did a while ago, while you were still unconscious."

Penny tried to think of what could have happened. She had been knocked out? _How_? She rubbed her head, massaging her temple. It was hard for her to believe what happened. The last thing she remembered was walking through ChalkZone. The next, _this_...

Many questions raced through her mind. As she tried to sift through them, more and more cropped up, crowding her head with an array of questions, nearly cracking through her own skull. She tried to settle herself down, tried to focus on one question at a time, but she found it impossible. She could only cringe as she fought against her own mind, trying to keep herself from worsening her headache.

She could catch glimpses of something. _Her walking...following perhaps...a small figure_... But it was all a blur. She couldn't even get a clear picture in her head who this was. Could it have been someone that she knew? Or was it someone totally different? And _what_ is the significance?

She turned to Rapsheeba. She hoped that her friend would be able to shed light on what happened. "Rapsheeba... what happened to me...?" She was shocked at just how weak her voice sounded. "D-Do you know..?"

Rapsheeba looked at her sadly. She hesitated for a moment, and then she nodded her head slowly. "Yeah..."

"Can you tell me?" Penny looked at her, eyes filling with desperation. "Please...? I _have_ to know."

"Well...you see.." Rapsheeba began to tell her the story.

sss

Howdy kept running as fast as he could. He didn't know how long he was going to be able to keep this up. He could already feel his body starting to give out on him. He panted heavily, his mouth feeling dry. He licked his lips slowly, wishing so much that he had a glass of water. But he couldn't stop. _Not now_.

He kept pushing his body to its absolute limits. He kept pounding his feet on the ground, kept trying to put some distance between him and his pursuers. He didn't dare look behind him, worried that doing so might cause him to trip over his own feet. He was hardly even aware of his surroundings, and he just kept running the only direction that he currently knew: forward.

He was grateful that Snap helped get him out of the situation, even if it didn't last long. Snap had found him and managed to lead him away from the others. The other zoners weren't happy with him and they had knocked him away. But the time that Snap bought him was enough to get some distance ahead. Despite being angry with Snap still for wanting to trap him, Howdy was grateful that the zoner came to help him. If it weren't for him, he'd probably be beaten to a pulp right about now. Some of the zoners looked angry _beyond_ reasoning...

But now it seemed that his fears of that happening were going to become a reality. Snap was nowhere in sight and he doubted that the pursuing zoners were going to give him another chance to help him. Howdy realized he was entirely on his own. So he did the only thing he knew to do and that was to run as fast as he could.

A part of him began to wonder if he should just surrender. His body won't be able to take this much longer. He could feel his heart pounding so fast that it was threatening to burst open. His lungs were on fire and his throat was so dry. Each breath took more and more energy, and it was getting more painful by the second. His legs were getting shaky. Each step, he nearly comes close to tripping over and falling down. He wouldn't be able to keep running much longer without consequences starting to show their faces.

But a part of him was telling him that he couldn't stop. He felt like a wild animal being pursued, and just like an animal, his instincts were telling him not to give up and to keep running. He'd fight tooth and nail if he had to in order to flee his pursuers. Gritting his teeth, the puppet zoner pushed himself even more, the adrenaline rushing through his burning legs propelling him even father. It wasn't going to last long, he knew, but it would give him some extra time.

He didn't recognize this part of town. It was near the northeast corner, where he had never gone before. The only thing fully registering in his mind was that he was getting close to the outside of town. At first, this seemed like a good thing, as it meant more space to run and more directions to go in. He soon realized that this was a _curse_ in disguise; the wide open areas would mean less places, if none, for him to hide, and he would not be able to shake off his pursuers until he reached a forest...and that's provided if he even gets _that_ far. He didn't think his body would last long enough for him to get that far.

He had to lose them now, somehow. As he heard them shouting behind him, as he heard them getting closer, he desperately tried to figure out how he could get away from them. He looked left and right, gritting his teeth. He would normally try to think things through more, but with a more primal mind taking over as he tried to get to safety, he instantly turned to the side and directly into a factory of some kind.

Not even stopping to shut the door, Howdy ran through the factory. Thankfully it was empty of zoners, but all the equipment around him, it slowed him down. He found himself zipping around and jumping over various equipment. The place looked like it was meant for construction of some kind, but he didn't pay much attention to that detail. He conitnued to run, hearing the pounding of footsteps of the zoners behind him.

He ran up the steps on a metal stairway that he found. It led him up to a chainlink platform raised high above. There was a single, old-looking door located up here. Taking a brave moment to stop and look behind him, feeling the wobbling of the stairway as the smaller zoners headed up to try to catch him, Howdy opened up the door and slammed it behind him. He noticed a lock on the door and turned it, and he also put up a barracade with a long, metal table that he had found.

For a few seconds, he stood there, watching as the door wobbled from the zoners' pounding. He listened to the zoners' threats and demands that he let them in. He took a few steps back. Satisfied that the barracade would hold them back for a while, he turned and ran off.

He ran as fast as his tired body would allow him. He ran down the narrow corridor, ignoring the smell that hung strongly in the air. He came down to a two way intersection. He took the path down the left and kept going that way. He didn't attempt to turn into any of the doors he found; at the moment, all he wanted to do was run.

Soon, however, he began to slow down. Not on his own accord, but because his body could not take it any longer. He felt his legs start to drag over, nearly causing him to trip and fall. He finally stopped, placing his hand against the wall. He opened his mouth wide and panted heavily. He..he had to stop... Stop and rest...for a few minutes. Yeah...just a few minutes...

Sadly, he didn't have that luxury.

A loud bang caught his attention, and the sound of something breaking and cracking. He whipped his head over and he could hear the familiar noises of the crowd getting louder. He realized, in cold horror, they had already broken through the barricade and locked door somehow. He could hear them coming closer. _If he didn't find a place to hide_...

Without thinking, Howdy jumped into the first room that he saw. He grabbed the door and pulled it shut. He winced when it made a loud clicking sound. He hoped that wouldn't draw attention to himself. He backed away from the door, looking out the indoor windows, allowing him to see the hallway. He could see shadows stretching along the ground. They would be in here in seconds.

Frantically, the zoner looked all around him to see if there was a place he could hide in here. There were multiple tables and chairs here, as well as a large projector. This must be some kind of meeting room. He tried to find some kind of closet or cabinets he could hide himself in, but this room was fully devoid of that.

His heart pounded when he realized there didn't seem to be any place he could hide in here. He clenched his teeth fearfully, jerking his head from side to side. No..there had to be something.._anything_...

_The projector screen_... It was quite large. It didn't press up against the wall, so he was totally exposed if they were to look at the sides. But where else could he go? As he heard the zoners on the outside question which room to search in first, the zoner immediately jumped behind the projector screen. He grabbed onto it and pulled it back, attempting to offer himself some kind of cover.

And then he remained still and quiet. He didn't make a sound, doing his best to control his breathing. He tried to ignore the burning weakness in his legs. He tried to keep his body still. He waited, hoping and praying that they would give up the chase and leave.

"I think he might be in here."

"How would _you_ know? He could be in any one of these rooms!"

"Well, most of the doors here are closed, but this one..."

"Oh you idiot! A number of the doors are closed! It means nothing!"

"Shouldn't we at least check?"

"Okay, _fine_.."

Howdy took in a sharp breath, not daring to exhale. He felt so stupid. Why did he have to close the door? Now he had jut drawn attention to himself.

He felt his blood run cold when he heard the clicking of the door opening. He heard the creaking as the zoners pushed it to gain access into this room. He couldn't see them from behind the projection screen, but he knew they were there. He held still, trying to turn himself into something of a living statue, and he hoped that the zoners wouldn't come close enough to realize he was there.

He looked left and right, seeing the shadows of the zoners as they walked through the room. He could hear their footsteps, their sighs and growls of frustration, a few murmurs amongst each other. He could hear them lifting up the tables and pushing away the chairs, as if somehow he was trying to blend in out there.

So far, none of them attempted to come close to him. From what he was hearing, they were looking around the 'main body' of sorts of the room, where the tables and chairs were. They were probably also looking in the corners, and perhaps trying to find any hidden closets or cabinets that they somehow were missing. He smiled softly at this, realizing that perhaps he was going to escape his pursuers after all. He would question just how convenient this all seemed, but at the moment, he was too relieved to really think about that much.

Then he heard the sound of retreating footsteps. The zoners were leaving... Howdy tried his best to contain his elation. At last, the zoners were giving up, giving him time to take a real breather. He waited until he heard the door shut before he started to come out of hiding.

"_Gotcha_!" A voice suddenly shouted.

Howdy let out a terrified scream as a large zoner rounded on him, blocking his path. _A large, imposing zoner_...the aggressive female from before, stood before him, a grimly satisfied expression on her face.

"Looks like this is a deadend for you, am I right?" The aggressive female sneered.

Howdy looked left and right, noticing that _none_ of the zoners had left. They were still in here, glaring at him, except for a few like the meek male. The realization that they had tricked him creeped into the back of his mind, filling him with horror. They had merely _played with him_ and his mind, luring him into a false sense of security. Gulping loudly, he began to back away.

The zoners follwed suit. They formed a wide arch, a half circle. This ensured that, no matter which way he went, he couldn't get out. He was backed up into a wall again. Instincts started to take over, the sensation of being a trapped animal taking over his mind. He gritted his teeth defensively and started to hunch his body protectively. He would run, but he ran out of energy at this point, the adrenaline no longer helping him.

"Now come on. This time, don't try to get away." The aggressive female said. She narrowed her eyes into slits. "Stop being so _difficult_."

Howdy stared at the ground, baring his teeth in a pathetic attempt to make them go away. Such an act was useless, but instincts drove him to do whatever it took to save himself.

He realized that, this time, there was no escaping. Snap would not be able to help him here. None of these zoners were going to let him go. He had nowhere he could run; this room had only one door and the zoners in here were blocking it. He has completely trapped, subject to the wrath that these zoners were going to bring upon him. Letting out a soft whimper, he raised his hands over his hand defensively, shut his eyes, and waited.

"_Wait! Stop_!"

Howdy opened up his eyes, disbelief washing through his body. No, it couldn't be that simple, right? He couldn't possibly be that lucky. He was just hearing things. He...

"Great Creator!" One of the zoners howled in shock. "You're back! But why are you..."

"Leave Howdy _alone_!" Rudy demanded as he lowered himself down, shutting off his rocket shoes.

Snap, who appeared to have been either holding onto Rudy or was held by the boy himself, jumped beside Rudy, helping to block the crowd's attempts at getting at the puppet zoner. Spreading out his hands, he shouted, "Yeah! Do you really think this is going to solve anything?!"

"He ran away!" The large female snarled, baring her teeth at the two interlopers. "If he hadn't run, we wouldn't have had to..."

"_Enough_!" Rudy shouted back at her.

Howdy couldn't believe it. He didn't expect himself to be subjected to another miracle. Now it wasn't just Snap who was helping him. Rudy was here. His creator. The puppet zoner, panting heavily, couldn't help but smile at this. Perhaps his luck hadn't run out after all.

"_How dare you interfere_..." The aggressive female said.

"All we want is answers!" Cried another zoner. "How could you deny us that right, Great Creator?!"

Rudy narrowed his eyes. "We _will_ get answers. Don't worry." He closed his eyes softly, appearing not to notice Howdy's worried expression. "But we are going to do it in a much more _reasonable_ way."

After a few tense moments of silence, the aggressive female, who didn't seem like she was willing to back down in spite of the magic chalk, took a step forward. "And how do you propose we do that, you little brat...?"

Rudy narrowed his eyes. "If you were to calm down, I will tell you..."

The aggressive female growled at this, her heavy snarls filling the room, accented by a few angry sounds from some of the more disappointed zoners. Then, after what felt like forever, she forcibly exhaled through her flaring nostrils. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she said in a deep, growly voice, "Okay then, _Great Creator_... What is your idea...?"

sss

"_Ahhh_! Please! Stop! _Ouch_!" Blocky cried.

"Hold still, you fucking piece of paper!" Terry growled at the struggling zoner. She pressed her hands against his body, keeping him as still as she could. "It'll be over soon if you just stop squirming!"

Blocky did not listen. It was clear that his world had erupted into pain. Despite the fact that he was still weak from the hypothermia, he still had the energy to struggle. Terry found this to be rather annoying. Why couldn't he just hold still? All that was happening is they were getting some blood from him. That was all.

Dr. Von Doktor used one hand to help secure the zoner down further. He had a needle in the other hand and he was prodding it against the skin. The fact that Blocky was flat was problematic, but the doctor was confident that he was going to be able to draw some blood from him. He insisted on getting blood from the zoner for some study. He said that in order to understand his species more, he needed to look at his blood on a microscopic scale. Terry didn't understand why, but she did not bother questioning him.

Terry didn't look at the man while he tried to push in the needle. She didn't know how the man was going to push the needle into the zoner's insanely thin body, and she didn't care to find out. So she focused on merely holding the little creature still while the man worked on getting the blood.

Blocky kept screaming and struggling. His weak body thrashed, using as much energy as his lethargic body could provide. Terry grunted and snarled as the zoner squirmed. She would issue more threats at him, but she realized that the zoner was panicking and likely would not listen. So she just continued to hold him down.

"Please stop this! _Ow_! It hurts so bad!" Blocky screamed. Tears flowed down his green cheeks. He looked up at Terry, clearly seeking some kind of sympathy from her. "_Please_!"

Terry merely glared at him coldly. "It's almost over, _so quit your whining_!"

This statement turned out to be false, as she found out soon. It didn't take a short time to get the blood like she thought. For some reason, it took a lot longer. She guessed the scientist was having a hard time finding the right spot to draw blood from. She spent what felt like forever holding down the struggling, screaming zoner as Von tried to get his blood.

At last, Von announced his success. Terry, who had grown tired of holding Blocky down, released him. She took a step back, glaring softly in Von's direction. She took note of the vial he held in his hand, which was now filled with chalk-based blood from the zoner. There wasn't much in it, but it would be enough for the man to run at least a few tests on it. Besides, he could always get more if he needed it.

"So...anything else you want to do with him while we wait for that pathetic puppet of ours to get back?" Terry asked as she folded her arms against her chest.

Von paused for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin. He turned to Terry and said, "Well..I am curiouz about how hiz anatomy workz. How could he be zo zin and flat and ztill function zo..._normally_?"

Terry scoffed at this. "I don't think being based on chalk qualifies as normal."

Von ignored her as he went over to the cabinet to place the vial in. Once it was inside, safely stored, he turned his attention back to her. "I do zink an x-ray iz in order, don't you zink, Mizz Bouffant?" Von approached the weakened zoner. He placed his hand on his chest and stomach and gently rubbed it. "Yes, ziz flat body dezervez zome further...examination.."

Terry watched, somewhat disturbed by the man's actions as he felt around Blocky's body. She soon shook it off. "All right then. When do you want to do the x-ray?"

Von grinned at her. He seized the zoner in his hands, roughly lifting him up, uncaring about how much he was hurting him. As Blocky squirmed, kicking out his legs, he said, "Right now."

Terry looked at Blocky. For a fleeting moment, she felt a little sorry for him. But it was only temporary and she soon shrugged it off. He was just a chalk creature. It didn't matter, right? She shrugged her shoulders and followed Von as they headed into the x-ray room.


	21. Heats

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 21: Heats

_**There is a reason why many prefer the cold.**_

sss

It hadn't been easy convincing those zoners to back down. It hadn't been easy convincing them to allow him and the others to talk to Howdy on their own and relay the information to them. The zoners, especially that hostile female, were quite determined to do things their way. No matter what they tried or said, she would remain like a stone, unconvinced by what they had suggested.

It wasn't until sometime passed, perhaps an hour at least, that she finally relented. She wasn't too pleased about it, however, and she made it clear to them that if they don't provide the information like they promised within the next twenty-four hours, they would go through with her plan.

Rudy bit his lip at the memory of that. He hoped that the female zoner wasn't being serious about that. She sure sounded it, but may be she was just angry and upset about what was going on. He couldn't exactly blame her. After all, Howdy's behavior was rather suspicious and that kind of behavior could be hint to something quite serious. But he still didn't approve of her behavior towards the puppet zoner, and he even said so in her face to back off and leave him alone. She did submit to his demands, but he had a feeling it was only because he was the Great Creator. _Had he been a zoner just like her_...

Rudy stared down at Howdy. They had relocated to Snap's treehouse, away from the city, where it was more quiet. Rudy felt that the best place to speak to his creation and friend was right here. Without all the distractions of the city and away from the zoners that had tried to lynch him, or whatever it was that they were attempting.

They hadn't really said much of anything since they got here. At most, they had asked him about how he was feeling and if he needed anything. All Howdy wanted right now was something to drink. All that running had took a lot out of the poor guy. Rudy couldn't help but flinch when the zoner kept drinking glass after glass of water. It made him wonder just how long he had been running. The poor guy... When he had seen him in that warehouse, he had been at the point of collapse. Seeing him drink so much water only _punctuated_ the reality of that.

Rudy hoped that Howdy would be more cooperative with them. They needed to understand what was going on. Snap had been able to give him the rundown of what was going on, but that didn't help him understand what was going on with Howdy. The zoner was acting rather strange. He really wanted to know why he felt it necessary to knock down two of his friends like that. He especially wanted to know what was up with Howdy and hurting Penny.

He bit his lip as he remembered that part of the conversation with Snap. The only reason that he had known was because some flying zoners had witnessed it. Not all the zoners were aware, and didn't spread too far. Rudy was glad for that. Unfortunately, some of the lesser friendly zoners, like that female whom he didn't know the name of, knew what happened, and had gotten suspicious of Howdy.

The young boy wanted to believe that there was a reason for this. He knew Howdy quite well. Though he was angry at him for what he's done, he was willing to give Howdy a chance to explain himself. He was certain that something was going on with him. An understandable but potentially heartbreaking situation. After all, _what_ would drive him to _shoot Penny like that_...?

He hoped that Penny was going to be okay. He was glad that Rapsheeba wasn't too badly hurt. _But Penny_... He had been informed that she was taken to a ChalkZone hospital for basic treatment. Very basic treatment. He remembered what Snap said of some of her injuries, and he flinched at the memory of that. He hoped that Penny would have no trouble getting back to the Real World after she woke up. She would need to see a Real World doctor to make sure that there weren't any serious internal damage.

He looked over at Snap. The zoner had been unusually quiet as he sat close to Howdy. There seemed to be a bit of tension between the two. Rudy theorized it was probably because Howdy found out about Snap trying to set up a trap for him. Rudy could understand why that would bother Howdy. He kept quiet for a few moments to let them reconcile with each other.

While he did that, he turned his head upwards, his mind sifting through his thoughts. He tried to think of how he was going to bring the topic up to Howdy. He wondered if the zoner was going to try to make a run for it if he asked the wrong way. Not that he could get away from here very easily, but he didn't want to rule out the possibility.

The idea of Howdy being in some kind of danger hung strongly on his mind. Why else would he act this way? From the behavior described, it sounded almost as though he was terrified...

..._but what was he terrified of_? That's the question he knew must be answered.

He knew Howdy quite well. Despite what the zoners in that group had said about him, Howdy was a well-meaning little guy who wanted nothing more than to make people smile. If he acted out of character, then there had to be a darn good reason for it... right? He didn't want to think that one of his own was slowly developing into a monster.

After a few minutes, he noticed that Snap edged away from Howdy. He turned his head over, and they locked eyes with one another. He gave a small nod of the head, signaling that he was done talking with Howdy. Or rather, whispering to him as Rudy hadn't heard a word. But even with those gesture, Rudy wanted to wait a little while longer before beginning to speak. He did not want to spook Howdy or stress him out any more than necessary.

"Howdy..." Rudy said, finally breaking the silence around them. The puppet zoner turned his head and looked up at his creator. "Be honest with us. What is going on?"

Howdy stared at him for a few moments. He darted his eyes around nervously before taking a small sip of water. "N-Nothing is wrong." A blatant lie. He drank more water, wiping his mouth with his arms leeve. "What makes you think that?"

"The zoners." Rudy pointed out. "They were chasing you for a reason."

"Misunderstanding." Howdy quickly said. "They probably thought I did something..." He lowered his head. He stared at his glass of water. "Can we please just _drop_ this?" He asked. He closed his eyes softly. "I'm really not in the mood to talk about this right now."

Rudy would have normally backed down at this. But he didn't have that luxury right now. Something big was going on, and he was determined to find out what it was. He was not going to let Howdy just cut off the subject like that.

He didn't know why Howdy had to be so difficult. Didn't he understand that he wasn't in danger here? Didn't he realize that the zoners can't get to him while he was around? Didn't he know that the longer he played _secretive_, the _more_ suspicious he is going to look, and the more likely that there would be a repeat of today's incident? He understood that the zoner was quite shaken up with what happened, but he needed to understand that his behavior was going to rub _some_ people the _wrong_ way.

If he wanted to show that he was innocent, he was going to have to take a stand right now. He needed to tell him the truth, otherwise the rumors and lies that may form about him would surely spread. Rudy was certain that Howdy had enough 'excitement' for today, and didn't need anything else to worry about.

"Howdy, I am not going to let you go until you tell me what's going on." Rudy said, his voice stern and firm.

Howdy glared softly at him. "I told you, _nothing is wrong_! It was just some silly _misunderstanding_ on their part! It's my fault for not being more clear with them."

"I can tell you're lying." Snap said, pointing a rounded hand at him. "You're _not_ a very good liar, Howdy. Why don't you tell us the truth about what happened?"

Howdy shook his head. "I'm not, because I already told you the truth!"

Rudy narrowed his eyes at this. Howdy was continuing to be hard to talk to. He could feel anger rising up inside of him. Why couldn't Howdy understand that they were only trying to help him?

But something else creeped into his mind. Worry etched into the back of his head as he noted Howdy's unusual behaviors being displayed at the moment. This was not like how Howdy would normally behave. This further led to his believe that something was going on. He didn't like forcing the information out of him, and he hoped that, eventually, Howdy would come to realize how silly he was being and confess. But if he had to pry the information from him, then he would.

"Please, we know something is going on. We heard what those zoners said. We know what you did to Rapsheeba and Penny." Rudy's voice was of controlled anger and disappointment. Howdy winced at this. "But we also know that you wouldn't do such a thing unless you felt you had no choice. We want to understand, Howdy. Please tell us..."

"Yeah... We're here for you, little buddy." Snap gently touched Howdy's shoulders. He stared at him as the puppet zoner looked down, averting his gaze. That didn't stop Snap from attempting to look at him in the eyes. "Whatever is happening, we can try to make it right. We're your friends, Howdy. You can trust us."

"Snap is right." Rudy nodded his head. He smiled, in spite of Howdy not looking at him. "We all go through tough times, and sometimes we end up in a sticky situation we can't get ourselves out of." He noticed Howdy clutching his glass tighter. He felt nervous about this, but continued on anyway. "We just want to help you. If you tell us what happened, if you tell us if anyone is involved in this, we will help you. Please, Howdy... Speak to us. Don't leave us in the dark. Don't continue to paint yourself as a bad guy. I know you're not. I know you're just scared and unsure of what to do. But you have us, Howdy. You can tell us anything."

He and Snap looked at Howdy worriedly when the zoner began to tremble. They inched away from him, giving him some room. They noticed that his eyes narrowed further and his teeth were clenching. He didn't look angry, but the emotion he was displaying... They couldn't quite pinpoint it. The face appeared to redden slightly as tension built up inside the zoner's body. Something was clearly stressing out Howdy, and it looked as thought he was ready to burst.

Rudy and Snap both wanted to say something to calm down their friend, but neither could think of what to say. The zoner looked so shaken up, that it was possible that anything they said at this point could drive him over the edge. So they remained quiet and waited for Howdy to make a move. And it didn't take him long to do that.

Howdy suddenly slammed his cup against the ground. Rudy and Snap flinched at this, jerking their heads back. Water splashed onto the ground from the force, and Rudy could have sworn that he heard a small crack.

"_I told you two already! Nothing is wrong! So just drop it, okay?! I don't want to have this conversation anymore! Why can't you two just leave me the fuck alone?! Are you two idiots always this nosey?! No wonder Skrawl is annoyed with the fucking both of you_!"

Silence hung heavily in the room as the two boys stared at the puppet in absolute shock. Never before had they ever heard the small puppet zoner use that kind of language before. Never had he _verbally attacked_ them like that. His words stung their hearts, and they remained in stunned silence as they stared at him in the eyes, their mouths dropping open.

Yet they could not bring themselves to be too angry at him. The outburst did reveal something, even if he didn't directly say it. He was hiding something from them. The way he reacted, how he so easily turned on them, it was reminiscent of someone who had a big secret they were trying to hide.

But how were they going to convince Howdy to tell them? It was clear he was not in the mood to speak to them on this matter. He may have been grateful, but he was still determined to keep mum on the word on whatever was going on. Rudy would have to think of what would be the best strategy in this case.

Howdy seemed to realize just how far he may have taken his outburst. His expression softened up slowly and he relaxed his body. He looked down at the glass he held and widened his eyes when he appeared to notice the crack. He looked back at Rudy and Snap and flinched at their expressions. He lowered his gaze.

"I'm...I'm sorry, you guys. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Howdy spoke in a soft voice. "I..I was just..."

"Hey, it's okay.." Snap's voice was unusually calm given the circumstances. He had to be; a more tense voice may aggravate the puppet zoner further. "We understand.." He moved a little closer, but avoided directly touching the zoner, despite clearly wanting to give him a hug. "Would you..like to talk about it?"

Howdy shook his head slowly. He turned his head away. "No... There's nothing to talk about."

Rudy opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. Remembering what drove Howdy to snap like that, he had to rethink what his response was going to be. After thinking about it for a while, he said, "Howdy...are you afraid of someone? Right now I mean..."

"N-No..." Howdy quickly said. An uncontrolled shiver was enough to hint that he was lying. "What makes you ask?"

"You looked around earlier, as if you thought someone was watching." Rudy said. He narrowed his eyes softly. He kept his voice as calm and neutral as possible. Any emotional output might accidentally trigger the zoner's temper again. "You have to tell us what happened, Howdy. We cannot help you if you keep this a secret."

Howdy stared at Rudy. Any sign of anger was gone. But the defiance remained. With his eyes narrowed softly, he shook his head. "_No_..." He turned his head towards the door. "I...I should get going. I'm..late for a meeting..."

Rudy wanted to slap himself in the face. Did Howdy really expect them to buy that story? He was lying through his teeth, something that was so against his nature. He stared at Snap, and he could see, from his expression alone, that his blue friend wasn't convinced either. They both watched as Howdy got up to try to leave.

Rudy sifted through his thoughts as he tried to think of how he was going to get the truth out of Howdy. He already tried talking to him. That didn't appear to work. He guessed that someone was making Howdy do this, perhaps made a threat to him. That would explain why Howdy was on _edge_ right now, why he was so determined not to tell them. Since talking wasn't going to work, Rudy realized they needed another strategy.

As much as it pained him to force the information out, it appeared that was the only way they could go. He needed that information because not only did he want to ensure that his friend was safe, but if that information could lead to where Howdy was... He couldn't afford to give it up.

_And the way Howdy was acting_... Maybe he was reading too much into it, but the way Howdy looked at them once in a while... It seemed to indicate that he did want to tell them, but he was holding back. This was good enough evidence to Rudy to support the idea that someone else was pulling Howdy's strings.

But he couldn't very well just grab Howdy and hold him down. He didn't want to resort to something like that. He didn't want to traumatize Howdy further. And yet...that seemed to be the only path he could take. But even if he went through with it, it was no guarantee that he would get the information he needed. If there was just a way for him to see Howdy's memories, he...

..._see his memories_... That's it. An impossibility at the moment in the Real World, but not so much for ChalkZone. If he could draw a freeze ray and have it work, then perhaps he could draw something that would let him see into Howdy's memories. If he could do that...

Realizing that Howdy was almost near the door, Rudy turned to Snap and flicked his head, indicating what he wanted. Snap nodded his head and he went towards Howdy. He moved in front of him, blocking the door way.

"_Hey_...!" Howdy cried.

Snap grabbed onto him and started to push him back. "We aren't done with you yet, Howdy." He softened his expression. "We're sorry..."

"_You can't do this_!" Howdy shouted at them. "_I have to go! Please! Y-You don't understand_!"

"We would if you had just told us. But you forced our hand. I regret doing this, Howdy, but you left us with _no choice_." Rudy raised up his piece of magic chalk. "Keep him still, Snap."

Snap nodded his head. "I will!"

Rudy began to quickly sketch.

sss

Penny sat in complete disbelief as Rapsheeba finished her story. Penny had been in shock not longer after she first started, and even after all the time that had passed, she was still baffled by what she had heard. She had expected her to say something, anything, to indicate she was referring to something else.

But alas, nothing had happened. No indication that she was lying or was misinterpreting something. And for Penny, that was more chilling than simply getting some of the information wrong, for it was reality, and not one she was so willing to confront.

"Howdy..._he was the one who_..." She breathed softly. Rapsheeba nodded in silence, giving her a sympathetic look. Penny turned her head way, letting this information sink in. "I-I can't believe that he would..."

As much as she would want to deny it, she simply didn't have that option. Her memories had started to fill in the blanks for her, and she could see, with a more clear mind, what had happened. She could see Howdy standing there, looking at her sadly. She could see him pull out that weapon. _And the pain that followed_... She shuddered at the memory, clenching her teeth.

What would drive Howdy to do something like that? Why would he turn against his own friend? She wanted to believe that he was forced into this. His apology right before he attacked appeared to hint towards that direction.

But what if that was just a cover? What if he only said that to get her to lower her guard? What if...

Penny tried to push that out of her mind. Howdy wouldn't do something like this on purpose.._would_ he? It didn't seem like him at all. Despite the bitter feeling of betrayal gnawing at her insides, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the zoner, concerned for his safety. There had to be some reason he would act this way.

But the weight of disbelief, for the moment, was clawing away at her attempts at reasoning. She was being forced to confront a painful reality, one that she had hoped she never had to.

"I wish it wasn't so, Penny. I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't been knocked down by him." Rapsheeba lifted up her arm. She bent it and brought her elbow forward. "Look at this." Penny leaned forward on the bed, and noted some deep scratches in the arm. "_This_ is from Howdy. He knocked some sharp branches into me."

Penny hissed softly in concern. "Does it hurt?"

Rapsheeba nodded her head. "A little. It's not as bad it looks." She lowered her arm and furrowed her eyes as she looked at Penny. "You on the other hand..." She shook her head slowly. "I just hope that Howdy's attack on you didn't cause too much _internal_ damage."

The last two words of that sentence made Penny cringe. External wounds were frightening enough. The ones on the inside scared her even more. _To not be able to see the wound_... She hoped that the damage didn't spread in there as well. But with the aches and pains she was feeling throughout her body, she had a feeling that she was not going to be so lucky.

This made her even more disturbed by Howdy's behavior. He hadn't just given her a simple 'love tap' of an attack to get her away. He had went in full force. She could still feel the waves of energy rushing through her body, the burning sensation that it left on her. That attack had been enough to knock her out and leave her incapacitated. If it also damaged internal organs... Oh what was Howdy _thinking_?

"Where is he now?" Penny asked.

Rapsheeba shrugged her shoulders. "The birds that spotted him said he just disappeared after that. They tried to follow, but..." She lowered her gaze. "Howdy is one slippery zoner."

Penny nodded her head in agreement. She thought back to the time when Howdy was in the Real World. He had been pretty good with keeping away from the dog..well at least until the dog caught up with him. It didn't surprise her that the birds could not keep up.

She soon realized there wasn't much more she could do right now. She wanted to help with Howdy, but if she didn't get herself checked out at least by her mom, then...

Her eyes widened in horror. _Her mom_... How long had she been in ChalkZone? She had been so confused and shocked by what happened, that she didn't bother to check to see how much time had passed. If she had been here over the two hour time limit... And what is her mom going to think of the injuries...?

Right now, it was more important to get back to the Real World. She can worry about how she was going to handle things later. Her mom was going to be even more upset with her the longer she took to get back. She pushed herself off the bed, taking her time with getting herself balanced out. Her legs were a tad wobbly, and some of the aches seemed to worsen, but it would do.

"Where are you going?" Rapsheeba asked.

"I'm going to head back home." Replied Penny. "My mom is going to wonder where I am. She had set a two hour time limit and if I'm not back..."

"I...don't think you'll be leaving _anytime soon_..." Rapsheeba spoke softly.

Penny looked at her with a perplexed expression. "What do you mean?"

Rapsheeba opened her mouth to speak, but soon shut it. She gave the girl a sympathetic look, and then lowered her gaze slightly. Penny stared at Rapsheeba for a few seconds, trying to ponder what she was talking about. When she saw Rapsheeba turn her gaze towards her legs, focusing on her waste, Penny's eyes widened. _No..it couldn't be_...

"_He...he didn't_..." Penny whispered as she whipped her head towards her pants. For a few, frantic seconds, she searching around, desperately trying to find her piece of magic chalk. Soon she stopped, her breaking becoming shaky. "_N-No_..."

_Her magic chalk was gone_.

Rapsheeba continued to look at Penny sadly. "I forgot to mention that to you." She looked away, shutting her eyes softly. "I don't know why he would do such a thing... The birds said that he had stolen the magic chalk from you..." She looked back at Penny, staring into her widened eyes. "I'm sorry, Penny. But if you want to head back, you will have to either find Rudy or go to Biclops."

Penny clenched her teeth at that. "Biclops only ever lets _Rudy_ get magic chalk..._usually_."

"Well I'm sure he'll make an exception for this." Rapsheeba suggested. "He'd understand, right?"

"Yeah..I suppose so.." Penny paused for a moment. She then realized another problem. "But I won't be able to get there that quickly. I would need some way to..."

"I can take you there." Rapsheeba offered quickly. She pressed her thumb against herself. "I have a ride I can take you in."

"Thanks, but..I don't want to force you to..."

"It's no problem at all!" Rapsheeba said with a grin. "I'll be glad to take you!"

Penny smiled softly at this. She felt grateful for Rapsheeba's willingness to help. "Thank you."

Rapsheeba walked over to Penny. She gently grabbed onto her arm and helped her keep her balance. Penny, flinching a little, began to walk sowly forward. She wanted to move faster for fear of what her mother might say, but the pain in her body forced her to slow down. She found herself leaning against Rapsheeba a little more than she had expected. The zoner helped stabilize her and keep her on her feet.

Penny hoped that Rudy still had his magic chalk. She didn't know what was up with Howdy or why he was acting this way. She didn't know if Rudy had realized something was wrong, or if he was at risk at losing his chalk, too. Sure they could just go to the mine to get more, but that didn't ease her mind. There was still one question that wouldn't leave her alone.

_Just what was the magic chalk being taken for_?

The reason why Howdy took the magic chalk wasn't certain. Penny could only guess it wasn't for anything good. Why else would he, presumably forced, shoot her with a high-powered weapon to knock her out? Or strike away Rapsheeba when she was getting too close?

She clenched her teeth. She couldn't help but wonder who was really pulling the strings. She had an idea of who it was, and the thought made her blood run cold. She would have to wait until Howdy was properly confronted. Whatever the answer may be... She and the others would have to prepare themselves.

sss

Mrs. Sanchez paced back and forth in the living room. She wanted to stop, but her racing mind kept her going. Once in a while, she would turn her head and look up the stairs. She clenched her teeth, sucking a deep breath. The same question played out over and over in her mind.

_Where was her daughter_? She told her to only stay in that chalk world for two hours. Those two hours had been used up already. Granted, it was only about fifteen minutes over, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

Penny was never the type to be late. She was always such a punctual girl and took time limits and constraints very seriously. If Penny missed a deadline, there was a good reason for it. The fact that her daughter wasn't back yet sent all kinds of disturbing thoughts through her head. To her, there was only one logical explaination for why she hadn't come back yet.

_Something had happened_.

The woman kept pacing as she tried to think of what she was going to do. She fidgeted nervously, constantly looking up, hoping that Penny would show her face. She wanted to go up and wait in the bedroom, but she also wanted to show Penny she still had trust in her, and if she were to just wait in her room for hours... She didn't want to do anything that could potentially damage the relationship she had with her daughter.

But she couldn't just stand around here, could she? If her daughter was possibly in danger, shouldn't she go after her? She didn't know if she could; she didn't know if Penny erased the portal or not, and even if it were still open, could she really bring herself to go into a world she had no knowledge of..? Then again, this was _her daughter_ she was talking about. If she had to, she would run through the gates of a hell in order to help her daughter.

A wave of guilt hit her. A part of her wished she hadn't allowed Penny back into that world. She should have known that it was too dangerous. Penny had told her all about it, and she was aware of how dangerous it could be. And yet she let her daughter walk _right back into it_... How could she have been so _stupid_?

She tried to settle herself down. Penny obviously knew that world well enough and she had been going in and out of it constantly with no incident. Maybe what happened was not as big as she was making it out to be. Maybe she just got lost or got caught up with something. Yeah...that's all it was...

But regardless of whatever she tried to tell herself, the fear and worry that was swelling up inside wasn't enough to stop her from having some doubts in her mind. She found herself locking her eyes on the stairs once more, and let out a soft sigh. This was going to be harder than she thought.

For now, there was nothing she could do. She couldn't go into the chalk world. More than likely, the portal was closed, and she had none of this...this magic chalk that Penny talked about. All she could do was wait for Penny to come back. She could only hope and pray that she was fine, and that nothing happened, and that she was just overthinking things. Yeah... any moment now, Penny would come down and show her just how silly she had been for worrying.

But the longer she waited, the more time that passed, the more Mrs. Sanchez realized this may not be the case. With her heart twisting up in a knot, she forced herself to take a step towards the stairs. Although she had told herself she wouldn't, she knew what she had to do.

As much as she wanted to stay here and wait, as much as she wanted to show Penny that she still trusted her, her motherly instincts were taking over. _If her daughter was in danger_... She narrowed her eyes with determination. There was no way she would take this laying down. She couldn't just stand idly by and wait if her daughter needed her help.

The woman started to make her way up the staircase. At the moment, she didn't care if Penny would be upset with her or not. Right now, all that mattered was getting up there and, hopefully if there was a way, getting into ChalkZone.

She soon entered her daughter's room. She noticed the chalkboard. It was facing away from her. She wondered momentarily if Penny had turned it away on purpose or if it had always been this way. She walked closer to the chalkboard, looking intently around it as she walked out in front of it. And when she did...

...nothing. Absolutely _nothing_.

Mrs. Sanchez shook her head in disbelief. Her daughter had erased the portal, just like she feared. There was nothing she could do to help Penny now.

She felt her heart clench. If Penny was out there, in pain... And it was all her fault. She shouldn't have let Penny head back into ChalkZone so soon. She should have put her foot down and restricted her more. Penny could be badly hurt, and it could have easily been prevented if she had just...

Suddenly a thought came to her mind. Her eyes widened in realization. Didn't Penny tell her about how ChalkZone was populated by things erased from a chalkboard? It had been a detail she didn't pay much attention to, but now she was realizing the significance of that. Penny didn't tell her everything, but Mrs. Sanchez had to wonder something. Were those creations dictated by what the _creator_ wanted? If that's the case...

Mrs. Sanchez immediately rushed forward and picked up a piece of chalk. She pressed it against the black surface. Ignoring any squeaking that was made, ignoring the chills that resulted, the woman quickly drew on the board. Looping lines, creating sharp edges and quick strokes. It took her only moments to complete the drawing. She took a step back to take a look at what she had created.

The creature she had ended up drawing was a dog. Given the loyalty of a dog, she figured it would make sense to use Man's Best Friend to find her daughter and help her come back safely. The dog was large and strong, and it would have all the cunningness it...or he...needed to carry out his task.

Raising the eraser towards the dog-like creature, Mrs. Sanchez whispered softly to it. "Bring my daughter back safely, no matter what the cost. You are authorized to use deadly force if you have to."

She flinched, pausing for a moment when she said that. Was that going a bit too far with that? She shook her head. No, she wasn't. If someone had hurt her daughter, and if the situation called for it.. There would be _no other alternative_. Sometimes, the paths are chosen for them.

Without further hesitation, she quickly erased the board. Once it was clean and devoid of any drawing, she dropped the eraser down. She leaned away from it and stared at the board. She took in a few breaths. She hoped she had made the right choice.

sss

The zoners that walked by the large pile of symbols, mostly letters, didn't really think much of it. Penny almost never erased anything beyond mathematical and scientific equations, so they had gotten used to the ever growing pile of numbers that accompanied this landscape. Once in a while, she and her friends would remove some of it so it didn't create a wavering tower.

The zoners would often stop and look at the pile. Some of them would whistle and express how impressed they were that someone as young as Penny could be this smart. Not all the zoners showed appreciation, and either were annoyed by the pile despite the fact that it's cleaned up every so often, or would just ignore it entirely.

All in all, it was treated as just another part of ChalkZone. That was the way it worked around here. Things were always changing and transforming. They often never knew when something new would pop up or where. The chalk world was much less predictable than the Real World. While this might disturb the humans if they found out, as many humans hated change, the zoners on the other hand _embraced_ it. It wasn't like they had much of a choice.

Today, however, Penny's pile of numbers was the location of something different. The zoners that passed through here noticed the telltale signs of something chalk being erased, and they thought it would be another equation or words as usual. But today, they got something entirely different, and unexpected.

When the beast first appeared and lunged at them, they didn't even see it coming. A flash of yellow fur was their _only warning sign_, and then impact. Zoners let out cries of pain as they were tossed to the side. They crawled up to their feet and backed away as the large, muscular beast towered over them, drool dripping from from its fangs.

The beast was a large, yellow dog zoner, looking more muscular and intense than any regular earth dog. Its glowing white eyes stared at them, piercing through their souls. The zoners backed away slowly, the beast walking forward with its wickedly sharp claws.

"_Where is she_?" The dog spoke. His voice trembled and shook, sounding almost like someone was playing around with a remix program. When none of the zoners dare replay, the dog yelled, "_Where is she?! Where is Penny_?!"

The zoners, unable to handle the intensity of the situation, terrified of the large, monsterous dog that stood before them, took off running. The dog clearly didn't like this. With his hackles raised up, creating a frightening spikey display, he charged towards the zoners.

sss

"Wh-What are you doing...?" Blocky whimpered.

Terry rolled her eyes. "You should know. We are _just_ going to get a picture of your insides. It'll be over before you know it."

Blocky struggled, trying to get off the table. The two adults in the room stared at him, not making a single move to stop him. They both knew he was just overreacting. This was going to be quite painless; his struggling was just making that worse. Thankfully, they did strap him down the best they could, inhibiting his ability to move around too much. The hypothermia, which was still affecting him, also helped out immensely.

Dr. Von stared down at his test subject, unable to hold back his smile. He was particularly excited about this. He had longed to see what the inside of this animal looked like, and now he was finally getting that chance. He had to know what his internal structure looked like with him being so...flat.

How did his bones work? How did his blood vessels work? How were his organs arranged? How did he do..._anything_..with a body like _this_? He had to know. His scientific interest was at its peak right now. Nothing the zoner did or said was going to keep him from doing this. Heck, if he could, he would even vivisect Blocky after his use was finished.

He realized that they had forgotten to get Rudy and Penny's attention. Wasn't that one of the points in getting Blocky? No matter...they could always get back on track soon. They could just wait until Howdy got back and have him give them the message.

Besides, it wasn't like he wasted time here. He learned quite a bit of zoners from this little guy. He was a fine test subject and his contribution to science was most impressive. He looked forward to catching more zoners and learning about them. Maybe he could find one like Howdy or this Snap person Terry told him about, and learn about their anatomy. He was certain there were _plenty_ of zoners with a wider structure than Blocky. He'd have no problems cutting them open and seeing their internal organs and see how they function.

But for now... Blocky had all his attention. He doublechecked the straps to make sure they were doing the job. He turned to Terry and nodded his head. "_Let'z get ziz over with_."

"Good.. I'm getting tired of listening to him whine." Terry muttered.

The two adults headed into the secluded room. He shut the door behind him and proceeded to press the buttons. As the x-rays were being taken, he thought briefly of what else he was going to do. After all, x-rays will only show him the bone structure. There was an old MRI machine here. Perhaps it still worked?

Oh well, even if it didn't, it wasn't like Blocky could be that badly damaged by it, and he and Terry were going to be out of the room and wearing protective suits. So they would be fine.

"Okay, that'll do." Von said after a few moments had passed. He shut down the x-ray machine and proceeded out of the door. "We should move our test zubject back in hiz enclosure."

"Anything else?" Asked Terry.

Von nodded. "Why don't you check on zee old MRI machine in ziz building? I'd like a more..._zorough look at hiz organz and internal ztructure_."

Terry grimaced, looking momentarily uncomfortable with the scientist. Von didn't bother apologizing for it, and merely smiled at Terry. She recovered pretty quickly from the disturbing mental trip he had just given her. She turned her back away from him and, without a word, she walked away.

Dr. Von Doktor didn't bother trying to go after her, or to stop her. There was really not point. He knew where she was going. She needed no further prompting. Once she was out of the room, he turned his head and walked back towards Blocky.

The small zoner was trembling in the cuffs. There was some pain reflecting in his clinched eyes. But mostly, it was fear. The zoner probably expected something to happen to him during this procedure. Not that the man could blame him. Everything else involved hurting him somehow. He must feel so confused to have something done that didn't cause him some kind of pain. Well he better not get used to this; pretty soon he was going to endure a world of hurt. _The heating experiment was about to take place_.

He was a little reluctant to start it without Howdy being present. He wanted the puppet zoner to be here to witness what was happening to his friend. Mental impact was another area he wanted to study. Since he was focusing on the physical stuff with Blocky, he might as well use Howdy as his section test subject, focusing on mental. He wanted to know if zoners had similar thought processes as humans or if there was a difference between the two species. He was certain there was, and he wanted to find it. He could just use Blocky...but why muddle up the papers? Just use two different zoners for the tests, and problem solved.

He didn't want to wait too long to being the heating experiment. He would give Howdy a bit more time to come back here. If not, well tough luck. He could still test his emotional reaction when he got back. The sight of his dehydrated friend should be enough to teach Howdy not to take so long.

"No more...no more..." Blocky stared up at him, wide-eyed. "_Please_..."

"Are you really zat big of a _crybaby_?" Von stared at the zoner, cocking an eyebrow. "Really, I hadn't even done anything painful to you ziz time. Just an x-ray, and soon, an MRI."

Blocky shook his head. "Just l-let me go home..Please..."

Von simply smiled at the zoner. He didn't bother answering. There was really no point in wasting time conversing with the zoner. He was just going to keep begging. He attributed this partially to the hypothermia. Blocky probably lost a bit of his understanding, and perhaps thinks that the x-rays hurt him or something. Or he was just expecting to be hurt to the point where it was overriding his reason. He merely shrugged at this.

Von unhooked the zoner from his binds. The clasps came off quickly, easily undone. As soon as he was finished with the last one, Blocky attempted to get up. He didn't get far before he appeared to feel dizzy and the lethargy definitely showed, present in how the zoner wobbled forward and grabbed onto his head.

"Here, let me help you."

The scientist grabbed onto Blocky. He rolled his body up, ignoring his cries of pain from aggravating his wound. Von felt a little guilty in doing this as he didn't want to kill Blocky..._yet_, and he certainly didn't want to soil his test subject too soon. But he would be fine. Just a quick trip.

He immediately headed down the hallway. He walked along until he reached the enclosure room. He had gotten back here quicker than he had expected. Good thing, too. He didn't know how long he would be able to hold onto the squirming zoner. Despite him being weak, he was getting rather irritating. If he squeezed him a little tighter...

He went over to the enclosure and opened it up. He then tossed Blocky inside. As the living piece of paper unfolded himself and stared at him in fear, Von said, "I'll give you a bit of a break. But don't forget. In a little while, you will be taken to zee MRI room. Zen, _zee heating tezt_."

Blocky merely trembled at this, curling up into a ball. Von just chuckled softly and walked away. Soon, he was going to see just how well this zoner could survive in the heat. _Just how high up could he go_? He shall see.

sss

Rudy was stunned by what he had seen. He couldn't speak, couldn't move. He just stared out ahead blankly, trying to digest what he had seen. He hardly even noticed when Snap let Howdy go, nor did he see the two zoners approach him cautiously, with Snap looking concerned and Howdy looking a mixture of angered and ashamed.

He had not expected to see what he had, and yet he had. It was a nightmare come to life. It was the last thing he had hoped to see. It was even worse than he had imagined. This turned the situation on its head, and proved to him just how serious the situation truly was. He shivered, trying to keep his emotions under control, yet he found it hard to hold them back, feeling a cold shiver through his spine.

He stared at Howdy. Any anger and annoyance he had felt towards him had faded away, replaced with nothing but sympathy and worry. He couldn't believe that Howdy was put through all that. _The poor guy_... No wonder he had tried so hard not to tell them.

The machine he had drawn was crude and he wasn't entirely certain if it was going to work. There was a part of him who felt that something might go wrong. And putting it on Howdy was rather awkward. The zoner looked absolutely ridiculous, all those wires and such dangling from him... But it still gave him the results that he wanted, and he and Snap were treated to a rather..._interesting_ look inside Howdy's memory bank.

_Howdy had been kidnapped_... He had been taken from that location, that dreadful Pencil Sharpener forest where Rapsheeba and Penny had been. He was dragged into the Real World, forced to do the bidding of Von and Terry. He was tasked to bring in food and water and medicine just to help prolong Blocky's suffering. He had been _forced_ to bear witness to one of the experiments, leaving him and Snap speechless, equally horrified.

He couldn't help but give Howdy a hug. Without saying a word, he reached over and pulled him into a hug. He did his best to comfort the frightened and traumatized zoner. He whispered soft words to him. Snap joined in and rubbed Howdy's back. The small zoner shivered. No longer did he try to push them away. He hugged Rudy back and cuddled up against him. His smaller frame shuddered as he started to try, finally letting out all the fear and negative emotion that he had building up.

"I'm so sorry.. I-I wanted to tell someone... b-b-but I thought that..." Howdy whimpered softly. He sniffled loudly. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay, buddy. It wasn't your fault." Snap whispered softly to him.

Rudy nodded in agreement. He held Howdy even closer against himself, pressing his chin on top of his head. "It'll be all right, Howdy. It's going to be okay. You'll see..."

As Rudy held onto the shivering and crying zoner, he tried his best to fight back the burning anger rising up inside of him. How dare those two treat his friends this way...? How dare they _hurt_ Blocky like that, nearly freezing him to death... How dare they force Howdy to _watch the whole thing_, helpless to do anything to stop it... He knew they were going to be cruel, but..he never imagined it would be like that.

The only positive thing about this is that at least he and Snap aren't fully in the dark anymore about what was going on. They knew some of what was done to Blocky, and how he was being treated. As much as it pained them to know that, they felt better knowing than being left in the dark. In addition, they also now knew the location of that portal. With that knowledge, they could go to the portal and infiltrate where Blocky was being held and rescue him.

Rudy knew there were some pieces likely missing. They didn't see all of Howdy's memories. There were large, black spaces that had appeared while they watched. Even if there weren't, they would still needed to be careful. Knowing what happened was only half the battle; they still had to get in, infiltrate without being seen, get Blocky without complications.

Then there was the chance that they might be expecting him... True, that might be a stretch, but Rudy refused to rule out the possibility. Better to err on the side of caution. He had to go find Penny and tell her about this. She _needed_ to know.

Knowing the situation called for action as soon as possible, knowing that he was not going to be able to hesitate for long, Rudy immediately began to consider what course of action should be taken. He thought about his recent ideas, and then began to consider others ones. After a while of thinking, he felt he had figured out the best path to take. He still felt a little skeptical about the choice he was about to make, but that was the thing about choices. You will always make one that you will regret later.

"Snap..." Rudy said after several more minutes had passed. "You and Howdy head towards the Pencil Sharpener. Howdy is to show you its exact location. Have a map ready and _mark it_."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Bucko?" Snap asked, raising a hand towards his friend. "What if they're waiting for us?"

"They could very well be..." Howdy's voice was so haunting, it sent chills through their spines. With wide eyes, he continued, "I was supposed to be back a while ago... Terry might be getting suspicous. She might..."

"I understand your concerns. But you guys..._we don't have much choice in this_. We can't let them get away with what they did. This is our one chance to try to stop them. Understand that I'm not going to rush in there ill prepared; I just need the coordinates. I plan on talking to Penny as soon as possible so we can decide what we will do. I promise, we will not move so hastily."

Rudy understood why his two friends were still in doubt. Even Snap, who would be more willing to go along with whatever he decided, was shaken and uncertain. He had seen for himself what happened, and while he still has determination to take the right action, he was quieted by what Terry and Von were capable of. It was worse than any of them had ever imagined.

But there was little time to sit around and discuss their feelings about this. There was little time to stay and try to comfort Howdy. Rudy felt guilty with having to leave him behind. As he let go of him and stared down at him, he could see the tears staining his cheeks. Rudy bit his lip, feeling his heart break in two. He wished he could say something to help his friend feel better. But there was too little time for that. _If Terry and Von realized that Howdy was gone for too long_...

Swerving his head to Snap's direction, he said, "Don't delay this any more than it has to be, Snap! Time is not on our side here! You and Howdy need to go to the portal in Pencil Sharpener!"

Snap nodded his head slowly. "I get what you are saying, Rudy, but..." He looked down at Howdy. Noting his shivering state, he turned back to Rudy and said, "I don't know if he will be able to handle going back there so soon..."

"But..I have to..." Howdy said softly. He wiped away his tears. "If I don't go back..." He paused, his eyes widening in horror. "R-Rudy is right. We have to go.."

"Howdy..." Snap said softly, his eyes widening. A small smile spread across his face. "You really are a trooper, aren't you?"

Howdy smiled back at him, but said not a word.

"And you are certain you want to do this?" Rudy asked softly. "Are you willing to go through with this? Howdy, I don't like to make you do anything you don't want to do. I'm just... I hope you don't feel bad of me. There's just..too little too..."

Howdy raised his hand up. "Do not blame yourself, Rudy. You're right. We do need to take action. I am scared and frightened, yes, but I _will not stand_ for Blocky being hurt like that anymore. I'm afraid of what they might do to me, but I am _more afraid_ of what they might do to our friend, or other zoners. Trust me, Rudy. I'm agreeing to this because I want to, _not_ because of you forcing me into anything."

Rudy couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and happiness with Howdy as he heard those words. The initial guilt that he felt with trying to get Howdy to take Snap to the portal left him, dripping out of his fingers like some warm liquid that fell upon him. It impressed him how Howdy was willing to go along with the plan despite the possible risks that it came with. It took a lot of courage to do that.

Rudy decided to move things along when he reminded himself of the situation. Before he could do anything, he discuss things a little further with his friends. There was one thing he needed to agree with them upon before they could take action.

"You two can meet Penny and I back here after you have located and marked down the portal's location. Is that okay?" Rudy asked.

Snap nodded his head. "It sounds good to me, Bucko."

"I see nothing wrong." Howdy said. Rudy stifled the tempation to flinch. Howdy might be acting braver, but his facade was easily broken through by his own voice. "It won't take me long to locate the portal. We can be back here in... an hour?"

"Yeah. I think that's a good time. I just have to speak to Penny about that and see if she's okay with it." Rudy held back the fact that Penny's mom was now an obstacle, and if she decided not to let Penny come, there was little he could do about that. Penny's mom's knowledge of ChalkZone wasn't of the top priority here right now. But it will be once this crisis was taken care of. "Snap, _which_ hospital did you say she was taken to?"

"The main one. Biggest one in ChalkZone City." Snap said. Suddenly, he looked nervous, gritting his teeth. Rudy looked at him with concern, wondering what could have changed his friend's demeanor so abruptly. Snap soon spoke again. "Bucko... What are we going to do about those zoners who tried to get Howdy?"

Rudy flinched at this. He noticed Howdy cringing, clearly remembering the chase he had been put through. Rudy realized that this was also a problem. He knew that some of the zoners were going to hold some negative feelings about what happened, some more than others. It was something that needed to be addressed before it became too widespread, or worsened beyond repair. He knew how panicky some people can be and this extended to zoners. He knew how _catastrophic_ it could be come if left to fester.

Sadly, this, too, would need to be regulated in the back of their plans for now. Saving Blocky and stopping a possible invasion on ChalkZone was kind of more important, and he didn't think anyone would disagree with him on that. But he couldn't just say that in Howdy's face; the poor guy was scared enough. So he did the next best thing.

"We will take care of that as soon as we can. I promise." Rudy placed his hand on Howdy's cheek, gently caressing it. It'll be okay, Howdy."

The puppet zoner smiled back at him. "Yeah..I know it will." Gently, he pushed Rudy's hand away and made his way towards the door. He looked over at Snap expectantly. "Come on. Let's get going."

Snap nodded his head. "I'm coming!" He suddenly stopped, and looked at Rudy with a nervous grin. "Uh...Bucko..? That paper and pen?" Rudy stared at him for a few seconds. "I can't mark anything down without something to..."

"_Oh_..!" Rudy felt like an idiot. "Hold on!" He quickly drew the items that Snap requested and gave it to them. "Good luck, you two."

"Same to you." Snap said before he and Howdy left the treehouse.

Rudy remained in the treehouse for a few seconds before he began to make his way over towards the still open door. As he exited the treehouse and headed down the steps, his mind wandered. He began to ask himself a _disturbing_ question.

_Would ChalkZone be fully safe after this_? Even if they defeated Von and Terry, would they now have enough evidence to prove to everyone that the fabled chalk world was real? Would he and Penny then find it much harder to combat them and anyone else who they draw into their mission? What would become of ChalkZone if Terry suddenly gained a following, loyalists who would do whatever it took to expose ChalkZone?

The thought was _chilling_, and he felt his body shudder at that. It was, unfortunately, a very real possibility, something that he and his friends may have to confront eventually. Unless they not only stop those two but als destroy any evidence they might have gathered, then even if they stop them now, it wouldn't last for long. It would not be a victory; nothing more than a minor hinderance to them.

But they wouldn't give up. They couldn't. Such a thing was not acceptable. He was the guardian of this world, and if he had to fight, then he will. He was not going to give up ChalkZone _without_ a fight.

That much, he could assure Terry and Von.

sss

That was it. He was _tired of waiting_. At the moment, he no longer cared if Howdy was going to arrive or not. If he wanted to tell everyone what happened, then so be it. It still worked into his plans anyway. For now, he had something more important to take care of first.

It was time to get started on the heat experiment. He had given Blocky enough of a rest. Yes..half an hour was good enough for him. He had the room all set up for him, with all the monitors in place. He just needed to place the marks on Blocky so he could properly monitor him during the procedure. It mattered not if he was fully recovered from the hypothermia or not; the sooner he got the results, the better.

The little zoner did put up quite a fight. He had to admit, he was impressed with how much he tried to resist despite the fact that he was still weak from the cold. If he didn't know that Howdy had lost some of his strength, he would have even thought of it as he watched the zoner squirm around in his hand, desperately trying to pry his hands off so he could get away from him. Von tightened his grip on him as he led him down the hallway.

Terry had come a while ago to inform him that the machine apparently worked. She then promptly asked him why he had one in the first place. This, Von refused to answer. Honestly, he didn't really remember. One of his former staff members was in charge of the machine and they used for...whatever it is he was doing. Terry probably was going to be suspicious of him for this, but who cares? Let her think what she wants to.

The trip down to the room took longer than he had thought. The machine was located further down than he imagined. Trying to keep Blocky still, and trying to ignore his pleas were making it feel as though the trip was taken even more time. A part of him just wanted to toss Blocky down. He resisted, knowing that would just make things worse. A part of him wished that he had Howdy bring in some stuff to knock Blocky out with. He could use one of those right about now.

The man wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do next with Blocky. He hadn't exactly thought of it. The MRI scans were finished, but they would take a while to form. He had been able to look at his skeletal structure, which was...quite _interesting_, to say the least.

But as for the next experiment, he was at a loss. Maybe he will take some time away from Blocky and look at his blood a little. He hadn't gotten a chance yet to really examine the blood he had taken from him. It would be quite fascinating to see if the structure really is chalk or if there was something else going on. It was still something that confused him and left him in awe. How could a creature with a structure based on chalk _possibly survive_? Then again, humans and most lifeforms were based on carbon, the same thing that stuff like graphite and diamons were made out of, and they aren't exactly alive.

_And wasn't chalk, in a way, consisted of something carbon_...?

For a moment, the man froze, his eyes widening at that realization. In that moment, he could feel a large lightbulb move out of his head, raising above him and illuminating his mind. Had he found common ground with the zoners at last? This needed further study.

That could be the next experiment. He could get a sample of Blocky's flesh. He could remove something from the wound he already has. Cut off a small part of him. That should be quick and simple. If he could figure out more about this possible connection, perhaps he could solve the mystery of how the zoners could even be alive. If they were just another carbon-based life form... The public would not find that difficult to swallow.

He pushed those thoughts aside when he finally arrived in the room. As he walked in, he could feel Blocky's struggles increasing. He held onto him tighter, using his foot to kick the door shut to prevent Blocky from escaping.

The room he was in was mostly empty. White walls greeted him all around, and there were a small row of chairs and a small panel. The panel itself was decorated with all kinds of buttons and levers. The only other thing in the large room were the monitors that had been set up.

In front of that, a large glass window, easily stretching for more than half the room's length. A one-way mirror, allowing him to see in, but not Blocky out. The room itself was barren, save for some lights to keep it lit. Along the walls were some gray lines. Vents that would transfer heat into the room with ease. The door itself was large and metal, the bottom scraping along the floor to prevent anything from escaping. Even someone as thin and light as Blocky couldn't get out of there.

But, first thing's first. Before he got started, he had to place the markers on him. The monitor devices would not work otherwise. Holding him down with one hand, Von proceeded to place them on his shivering, cold body.

"Don't worry. Zoon, you won't be zo cold _anymore_." Von said, trying to mimick a reassuring voice. No surprise, this didn't seem to work on the zoner, but no matter. "I will try to make ziz experiment shorter zan zee other one. I wouldn't want you to have too much _rezpiratory_ problemz."

Blocky struggled against his grasp, pushing back with his hands. "_You have to s-s-s-stop this_!"

Dr. Von Doktor shook his head. "I have no zuch planz. You are a brand new zpeciez, Blocky. Do you really zink I am going to juzt let you go, without trying to dizcover what you're like on the inside? What your limitationz are?" Von placed about five markers on Howdy. A few more, and he would be done. "Zink of it ziz way. You are contributing to _zcienze_. You are paving the way for a new future. And when all of ziz iz zaid and done..._maybe_ I'll even let you go."

Blocky stared at him in silence. He didn't attempt to answer. Von wasn't sure if it was because he believed his words, or if it was because he wasn't registering them. Either way, it didn't stop Von from proceeding along, preparing for the next experiment. He placed a few more on Blocky, and soon, the zoner was covered with different markers, all linked to the machine. Yes, this should be good enough.

"If you cooperative, maybe I'll be even more likely to juzt let you go." Von said as he proceeded to carry Blocky over to the room. "You'll zee. Zurrender really iz zee bezt route that you can go. Onze you do, everyzing will run more zmoothly."

Blocky shook his head the best he could given his state. "N-No...Please..just stop...stop this all.. I don't want this.." His eyes grew wider the closer they came towards the heating room. The zoner began to struggle with a surprise increase of strength. "_No! Stop_!"

Dr. Von Doktor managed to keep his hold on the zoner. He grabbed onto the door knob and turned it. "Oh pipe down, will you? You are making ziz more difficult zan it haz to be! You..."

No sooner did he open the door part way did Blocky do something he hadn't attempted since the last time: bite him.

"_Yeowch_!" Von cried out. He nearly let go of Blocky as the zoner sank his teeth into him. "Let go of me!"

Blocky gave a muffled response, probably telling him some kind of retort. Von yanked at his hand. Eventually, he was able to free himself, avoiding having the zoner's teeth slash his skin. Von stared at his arm for a few seconds, realizing that, for the second time, the zoner had injured him with his teeth. He turned to glare at the zoner, whom he still had hung in the air by his shoulder.

Appearing to realize his mistake, Blocky began to struggle, kicking his legs in the air. He held his hands out in front of him, waving them frantically. He kept crying out for mercy, begging him not to hurt him.

"P-Please! _I'm sorry_! I-I didn't mean to!"

Von responded to this with a glare. "Zat'z zee _zecond_ time, _zoner_..." His voice was deep with intent. "You were already warned of ziz behavior. I find it quite.._unexzeptable_..."

"No! Please!" Blocky raised his arms and hands over himself, desperate for some kind of protection. "_I-I'm so sorry_!"

Von glared at the zoner for a few seconds. He debated whether or not he should take action right now. A part of him really wanted to muzzle Blocky to ensure he won't attempt another bite. The thing giving him pause was the fact that he didn't know if Blocky could sweat or not. He didn't want to take the chance, knowing he may lose his test subject too early. Yes, perhaps he should wait before he muzzled him.

His anger faded away quickly, replaced with a smile. He could see how much that alone was creeping out the zoner. He reached over and placed his hand on his cheek. This time, the animal didn't make an attempt to bite him again.

"It iz okay. I forgive you." Not exactly true, but it was the words the zoner needed to hear, what he wanted him to hear. "Now be a good little zoner..." He tightened his grip, his muscles powering up for the toss. ".._and get in zere_!"

Without hesitation, or any time for the zoner to prepare himself, the old man tossed Howdy into the room. His body sailed through the air and he crashed into the ground. Von watched as he slid across the floor, almost like a real piece of paper that was pushed along by a little kid. He quickly shut the door, sealing the zoner inside.

He then made his way over to the panel. Time to get started. He looked over at the window, giving a somewhat twisted smile. The zoner was frantically trying to find a way out, hindered only by the hypothermia. And even that didn't seem to slow him down, knowing what was about to come. Von grabbed the knob and twisted it. The panels on the side began to glow red.

The experiment had just started.

sss

When Rudy arrived back in ChalkZone City, he hadn't noticed anything strange or unusual going on. He hadn't seen any signs of those zoners he had scolded earlier. He didn't see any hostility from the zoners, or any murders or gossip spreading. Mostly, just zoners having fun with whatever celebration was going on today. He took this as a hint that most zoners were unaware of what happened. At first, he wasn't sure how, but then he realized that most of the zoners were distracted by the celebration. He let out a sigh of relief at this.

As he moved through the city using his rocket shoes, he was not surprised, given that fact, that much of the city was empty. When the zoners had celebrations, many of them got involved. Very few left themselves out. This was something he wished would happen more often in the Real World.

He looked left and right as he tried to locate the hospital. There were a few in the city, given its size. But there was one main one that most zoners went to. That was the one that Penny had been taken to. It shouldn't be too long before he... _Ah..there it was_. Off in the distance, he could see the large building, the familiar cross sign on it. He powered up his shoes and moved faster.

He still felt some level of anger with Penny for her early accusations. Why couldn't she listen to reason? It was her fault for not noticing the tracker, right? Why couldn't she accept that she is at fault as well? Why must she try to put all the blame on _him_?

No, now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He didn't want his mood soiled when he found her. The last thing either of them needed was another fight. Besides, after what happened with Howdy, he doubted Penny would even be in the mood to continue that argument. He bit his lip. Oh, he hoped that she was going to be okay.

He didn't get too far when he suddenly stopped. Something ripped through the air, _loud, long, booming_. He could feel chills running up and down his spine. He didn't even know what it was, and it was enough to make him stop and wonder. _What was that_? What was that sound that echoed in the city? It sounded so...foreboding. Rudy remained still in the air, trying to figure out what course of action he should take. Should he investigate himself or get Penny?

The answer was given to him rather swiftly.

A loud roar echoed through the buildings. So loud, he could practically feel the vibrations from the ground from up here. He then heard something else intermixing with the screams. His heart nearly stopped when he noticed the source of the noise.

_There was a large beast running amok through the city_. Big, yellow, equipped with sharp teeth, like a big dog, the massive zoner stormed through the city, the ground shaking beneath it. Below him, a bunch of zoners were running everywhere, waving their hands in the air as they tried to find shelter.

Rudy stared at this in horror. Where did this beast come from? What did it want? Why was it chasing the zoners? His moment of terror was short-lived when instinct kicked in. Gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes, he activated the thrusters on his rocket shoes and he darted off towards the large creature. He wondered for a moment if Terry or Von were behind this monstrosity.

The dog beast didn't seem to take notice of him, or perhaps it simply didn't care that he was there. The beast raised its paw up and slammed it in the ground. There were several loud cracks as the ground was shattered. Rudy winced at how deep the marks were. He watched as the creature's tail struck against a building, leaving behind a deep scratch. Dust and debris fell towards the ground, nearly knocking into a few zoners who were unlucky enough to be there.

Splitting its jaws wide open, the monster then bit down at the ground. Its massive jaws narrowly missed some of the zoners, except for one. To Rudy's horror, one of the zoners was snagged by his leg. The beast held him up in the air and shook him hard. The zoner screamed and pleaded for mercy. Rudy acted quickly and zipped towards the zoner.

The dog beast finally seemed to realize that Rudy was there. Its eyes locked onto him for a split second. Then, turning its head to one side, it thrust it forward, releasing its grip on the zoner. Rudy's eyes widened in horror at this and he moved faster. In seconds, he was able to catch the zoner in his hands.

Landing on the ground, Rudy released him. "_Get out of here_!"

The zoner needed no further prompting. Without even saying a 'thank you', the zoner turned and ran off. Rudy watched him leave. Then he turned his attention to the large dog-beast.

The dog stared at him with those piercing white eyes. Its lips were curled back into the snarl. A low growl eminated from its throat, its sharp teeth glinting in the Day Zone sun. Rudy stood his ground, arching himself in preparation for a fight, his magic chalk raised.

For several long moments, this was all that happened. Just an intense stare down between the two opponents. Neither would relent. It was as though they felt that if they looked away, then they instantly lost. The moment one backs down, the other would close in, ready to take care of the other. So silent it was, Rudy could have sworn he was able to hear the drumming of their own heartbeats. This only seemed to make the moment feel even more intense.

Then, at last, the dog zoner made a move. Rudy tensed up his body as the zoner took a step towards him. Its ears raised up, its expression contorting with great interest. Rudy could feel the rush of air as the zoner snorted at him, sniffing him like any regular dog in the Real World would. Rudy took another step back, raising up his magic chalk just in case the dog decided to get aggressive.

The dog zoner merely turned its head to the side, its ears raising up even more. It looked almost..confused. Rudy wasn't sure what to make of this. What was this zoner going to do? Maybe it was just a giant puppy and meant no harm, _but its earlier actions_...

"Where is Penny?" The dog asked suddenly, his booming, distorted voice filling Rudy's ears. "Take me to Penny if you can."

Rudy stared at the zoner in shock. "Y-You want to see Penny?"

The dog zoner nodded. "I want Penny." He flexed his claws on the ground, driving them into the ground. "I need to take Penny."

Rudy's eyes widened at this. In that moment, he realized that, whatever this zoner wanted with Penny, it couldn't possibly be anything good. He couldn't allow this dog to take Penny. He couldn't allow him to hurt his friend. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head rigidly. "I cannot allow you to do that..."

At this, the dog zoner resumed its malicious expression from before. "Then you are an _obstacle_. I have been authorized to do whatever it takes to get Penny." He raised his head up slightly, baring his sharp teeth at Rudy. "If you do not remove yourself, if you refuse to help me, then you will have _forced_ my paw."

Rudy bared his own teeth right back. "Penny's my best friend. I won't allow you to take her."

"Then..._so be it_.."

Rudy raised his magic chalk as the beast charged him. He didn't know where this thing came from or what he wanted, but one thing was for certain: he was not going to let him have Penny.

sss

The heat... Oh gawd _the heat_.. It was _everywhere_. There was no refuge from it. _Nowhere to go_. Everything in here was hot. Oh gawd, make it stop, _please_..

Blocky wobbled from side to side as he tried to keep himself from falling down. The heat had built up quickly in the room. It hung heavily over him, making it feel as though it would knock him into the ground at any moment. He had his mouth wide open, panting heavily as he tried to cope with the intense heat. He couldn't touch anything, and laying on the ground was dangerous. It was just too hot.

He could feel himself becoming drenched in sweat. His fluids could not be contained in his body anymore. Despite the need for fluid, his body was ejecting the liquid in a vain attempted to cool himself down. The effect of this wasn't lost on him, and he could feel his mouth drying up and becoming scratchier as the seconds passed by.

He didn't know how long he had been in here. He didn't know how much longer this was going to last. All time seemed to be lost on him as he struggled to hold on, struggled not to pass out. He could feel his eyelids grow heavy, a burning sensation occuring everytime he shut his eyes. His body was telling him to give out, but his mind refused to cooperate, stubbornly holding onto the hope that maybe, something good was going to happen soon. Maybe someone was going to come save him.

But as the slow seconds passed by at a snail's pace, he quickly realized that it wasn't going to happen. _No one knew he was here_...besides Howdy, and what could he do? He was just as powerless as he was.

Unable to stop himself, Blocky felt a sense of bitterness rise up inside of him. If Howdy had tried harder, maybe he could have gotten him out of here. He had his chance earlier, and he _blew it_. How could Howdy have been so stupid? There were ways of getting him out, he was certain, but Howdy just had to go blow it all up, didn't he? He couldn't be bothered to check to make sure no one was coming, and because of that, he botched up the _only_ chance he had to escape.

Blocky shook his head, unable to believe just how bitter he had felt towards his friend. And he continued to feel that way, no matter how hard he tried to fight it back. He couldn't help it. Something about this heat was starting to mess with his emotions. He gripped his head, clenching his teeth. He had to try to stay positive. He had to keep himself from losing his sanity. He had to...

But what was the point? He couldn't fight back what was true. Howdy had failed him. His friends had failed him. He was going to die in this hellhole and it was all their fault. He gnashed his teeth together, the bitter thoughts sifting through like some kind of unwanted play. He thought of his friends, feeling his gut twisting in knots. Friends... _what friends_..? If they were his friends, they would have gotten him out of here. It was their fault he was in this mess.

_No_..it wasn't just them. _That blasted girl_... Rudy's cousin, Sophie.. She was the one who dragged him out of his home. She was the one who caused him to be trapped out of ChalkZone. And that woman, she took the chalkboard away. It was her fault, too. It was _all their faults_. He was just an innocent bystander. He never asked for this. As soon as this was over, he was going to...

Suddenly a rush of lightheadedness struck him. He gripped his forehead, wobbling from side to side. He tried to keep his balance. Everything in the room was spinning around him. His vision was becoming blurry and shaky. He struggled to keep himself from falling down. But despite his efforts, he could feel his legs buckle underneath him. He dropped down. The burning sensation of the floor filled his hands as he panted, nausea sweeping through him. He held onto his stomach, struggling to keep his stomach contents from spilling out onto the ground. _No, not more fluid loss_...

His body began to stink of sweat. He was so clammy, he could feel himself slipping along the ground. His fingers practically stuck together. Sweat dripped from his face, onto the floor. It seemed to almost evaporate immediately, although his vision was too blurry to confirm that. He licked his dry lips, feeling the cracks that had formed in them. _So dry...so thirsty...so tired_...

The breathing.. It was getting more difficult. He struggled to take in more oxygen, opening his mouth wider. He could feel his lungs start to burn. He writhed on the ground, trying to escape the heat. The cold was better than this. He never thought he'd miss the cold that much, not that it was a much better situation. But this heat... _Oh gawd_, why was it so hard to breathe...?

He lifted up his head and looked over at the window. Nothing but a black sheet. He could just imagine Dr. Von Doktor on the other side, sneering at him, proud of what he was doing. Blocky panted heavily as he stared, realizing just how truly at the man's mercy he was. He raised up his head and reached towards it. He looked towards the window pleadingly, hoping that the man would notice and take pity on him.

Suddenly, he collapsed into the ground. The heat pressed down on him, the ground beginning to burn his skin a little. But he didn't move. Despite all the heat around him, his body had finally given out. He laid there, covered in his own sweat, panting weakly. Unable to do anything, not even a weak whimper, he shut his eyes, welcoming the darkness that descended upon him.

"_What are you doing_?!"

Blocky opened up his eyes at this. A distant voice. Feminine. Familiar. He tried to see, but of course, being trapped in this room, his tired eyes and blurred version could not pick up on anything.

There were a series of quick shouts. He couldn't make out most of what was being said. A few words here or there, he picked up.

"_What are you doing?! I'm not done yet_!"

"You fucking _fool_! Do you know what you almost did?! You aren't even looking at the _life readings_!"

"He'z _fine_! He juzt..."

A loud crash. A yelp of pain. Blocky, even in his weak state, couldn't help but flinch. He could hear them arguing even more, and then more thuds and more crashes, indicating that a fight was going on. Then a scream, and finally silence.

Blocky stared towards the door, his panting becoming weaker, his eyes unable to stay open for long. Even as he heard the door knob turning, he could barely keep his eyes open to see who was coming over. All he could see was a blurred vision. Something green and red. Significance? He wasn't sure.

He felt himself being lifted into the air. Hands gripped onto him, pulling him away from the dangerously hot floor. He heard the individual's panting as they endured the heat. Through his blurred vision, he stared to make out a few details of this individual.

_Terry Bouffant_..?

Before Blocky could fully register this or begin to question what was happening, he felt his body go limp compleletely. The darkness that had been encroaching on him finally took over, and he shut his eyes. Then all was dark and silent.


	22. Disbeliefs

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 22: Disbeliefs

_**Even the sturdiest wall can crack if given enough pressure.**_

sss

"Thank you so much, Biclops!" Penny held a small bag of a couple pieces of magic chalk. "I think this will be good enough."

"No problem, Penny!" The giant called back to her, that trademark grin across his face.

Penny felt a little silly for feeling nervous about asking Biclops for some pieces of chalk. Perhaps she was thinking too much about what happened when Snap attempted to get the chalk while Rudy was trying to clean the garbage out. Snap had mentioned how the giant tossed him out, proclaiming that Rudy can get the chalk himself. She came to realize that Biclops had only been frustrated at the time, and _hadn't_ meant that she could never ask for any chalk.

Biclops had been more than willing to give her some, especially when he realized she was trapped in ChalkZone otherwise. Before he would give it to her, though, he wanted to know exactly how she had lost the chalk in the first place. So she whipped up a short, to the point story about what had taken place, informing him of the troubles doing on with Blocky, Howdy, and the Real World.

Naturally, Biclops was rather concerned. The idea of the world being exposed was frightening _enough_, but the fact that there were still some pieces unknown, and Howdy's strange behavior, it painted the situation as more chilling than before.

Biclops's reaction reminded Penny that, while he saw a lot of things in ChalkZone during his patrols, he didn't know everything. There were things that even he was in the dark about. He knew nothing about this portal, nor had he seen Howdy doing anything strange. For him, everything was functioning how it had been before.

The giant expressed concern when he noticed Penny's injuries. He hadn't realized just how bad they could be until he saw her limping and showing signs of pain. Penny insisted she would be fine, but that didn't make Biclops or Rapsheeba look at her with any less concern. She tried her best to look brave and not to worry them too much, but she knew it was fruitless. There was little chance for her to completely hide it; she was rather frightened at the prospect of internal damage.

As soon as she was able to get home, she would inform her mother. She was afraid of what her mom might think, but right now, the important thing was getting help.

"I wish you the best of luck!" Biclops cried as he raised his large arm up and waved at her.

Penny nodded in his direction. "Thanks!"

Rapsheeba grabbed onto Penny's arm and gently pulled on her. Penny turned her head towards the female singer. "Penny, we should get going. We have to get you back into the Real World before your mom gets suspicious." She raised up her hand in gesture. "Didn't you say that she gave you a limit?"

Penny nodded. "Two hours." She widened her eyes slightly at the realization. "_And it's been over that time_..."

Rapsheeba nodded her head grimly. "I sure hope your mother is the understanding type."

"I'm sure she'll understand once I tell her what happened..." Penny stopped herself for a moment. _Tell her mother about this_... She felt reluctance in that still. She knew her mother would react poorly, and she was concerned of what her mother was going to do afterwards. Yet, what other choice did she have? Despite her uncertaintity, she still found herself saying, "I'll make sure she doesn't do _anything_ rash."

"And you are certain you can keep her from causing trouble, Penny Sanchez?" Asked Biclops, who remained at the entrance of the mine.

Penny nodded her head, smiling with as much certainty as she could muster. "I'm positive. Don't worry, everything will be straightened out."

Penny wasn't sure how true those words would end up being. She would try what she could, and tell her mother all that she felt would be needed. But that didn't mean it was going to be good enough. Her mother might still try something, no matter what she said. She hoped that things don't turn out _that_ bad, but Penny knew she would have to prepare for the worst, and figure out backup plans in case her mom refused to listen.

She still had faith in her mother, though. Her mom was one of the sanest, most intelligent people she came in contact with every day. She had always been relatively calm and collected, even when faced with some of the more vicious, snappy animals. She felt that she could trust her mom to still be able to handle this rationally, even if she came back with injuries.

Then again, the main difference between the zoners and the animals were that, her mom knew the species pretty well. She studied zoology for years, and had a fundamental knowledge of multiple species. She knew nothing about zoners. Perhaps she would be more nervous as a result, and maybe she would be more likely to act _without thinking_...

Penny tried to remain hopeful, however. It was all she could do for the time being. She rehearsed in her head what she was going to say. She hoped it would be good enough.

"Well we need to get going. My mom might be getting worried right now." Penny rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Thanks again for the help, Biclops."

Biclops nodded his head and smiled. "Don't mention it!" He paused. A small frown appeared on his face. He looked at Penny with a determined expression. "And...be sure to tell me what happens with your mom. If she..becomes a _problem_..." He shut his eyes and exhaled slowly. "We will have to..do _something_ about her."

Penny's eyes widened at this statement. She didn't like the tone of voice that Biclops had used. It wasn't really a threat, but..it was _quite foreboding_. She wasn't sure what he was referring to, or what he was implying. Yet, she still couldn't help but feel a shiver go down her spine.

There was no time to stay and keep talking to him, however. They needed to get going now. The longer they waited, the worse it could end up between her and her mother.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she gave another wave to the giant. "I'll see you later, Biclops!"

"So long!" Rapsheeba said as she waved to Biclops.

"Goodbye!" Biclops shouted before he turned to head back into the mine.

Penny and Rapsheeba headed towards the parked car, which was positioned not far from the entrance. As they walked over, Penny thought about what she was going to say to her mom. She knew she was going to have to handle this situation delicately. _One wrong word_, and she might accidentally cause her mom to take drastic action. Her mom had never seen this world before and had less reason to trust it than, say, an injured patient brought to her. _If she gave her an inkling that the world was more dangerous than she had let on_...

"_Penny_!"

The girl and her friend froze at that shout. It was Biclops. He sounded terrified. They had almost never heard him this frantic before. They turned around and watched as the giant ran towards them, his eyes filled with horror.

"What is it?" Rapsheeba cried, her voice laced in trepidation. "_What happened_?!"

With a rather haunting look, Biclops said, "_The city is under attack_!"

"_What_?!" Rapsheeba and Penny shouted in unison. They looked at each other, exhanging looks of horror.

Biclops pointed his hand. "_Over there! Smoke_!"

Penny turned her head towards where Biclops's finger indicated. She put her hand over her head and squinted. She tried to see what it was referring to. The giant being taller did give him an advantage. He could see further out than she could. But after a few moments, she eventually was able to stop something rather chilling.

There was a _pillar of smoke coming out of the ground_. Even from here, it looked thick and grey, and was practically drilling into the sky. She didn't see any buildings, however she was aware that this was the direction of ChalkZone City.

She could feel her blood running cold. To cause _that_ much smoke... _Oh gawd_ what was happening over there? Had Terry and Von decide to attack? Did they learn about the board's properties? Did they send out a creature to attack? Or was it completely unrelated, and had just shown up at the wrong time? Whichever it happened to be, that didn't change the fact that the city was under attack. In horror, she wondered if any of the zoners had been injured, or even..._killed_...

Her heart pounded against her chest. She shifted her gaze to Rapsheeba, giving her a horrified, knowing look. The singer zoner flinched at this, taking a step back. She didn't need to say a word for Penny to know that the zoner was lost in her own thoughts.

Penny wondered, for a moment, if Rudy was there. The thought of his name made her heart clench. She was still unnerved at how they had left things off. She shook off that feeling, knowing that right now, it wasn't important. She hoped that Rudy was nearby and could see what was going on. She could really use his help. _But what if he wasn't_? What if she was on her own?

No matter. She still needed to take action. Narrowing her eyes in determination, she took out a piece of magic chalk. Though inexperienced compared to Rudy, she drew herself a pair of rocket shoes. She turned to Rapsheeba.

"_Rapsheeba_! Try to help evacuate the zoners if you can!" Penny told her friend. "I'll try to do what I can about whatever is attacking the city!"

Though clearly worried, Rapsheeba nodded her head. She didn't bother to reply verbally; she just zipped off towards the car.

Penny then turned her attention to Biclops, who remained positioned at the entrance. The large zoner looked like he was getting ready to a potential fight. Penny didn't need to say anything to him. A mutual exchange of nods was all that was required. As much as Biclops would like to come with her, they both knew it was too dangerous. If the person responsible for this was a creator, and if they were using that runaway portal, then Biclops abandoning the mine would only leave it open for intruders.

Penny turned around and faced towards where she knew the city was. She ignited her rocket shoes, feeling the heat of the flames as they shot out. Penny then shot herself towards the city. She moved as quickly as she could, hoping that she would be able to get there in time.

She didn't know how long it took to reach the city. She hardly calculated the time as it passed. All she knew was just to keep flying, moving quickly in the air, feeling the wind hit against her face due to the force of the flight. She zipped passed the trees and overhead a few zoners. She moved herself around, keeping herself from hitting any of the hills and vegetation that she flew past. Then up one more large hill and...

There it was. ChalkZone City. She could see it clearly in the distance. She gasped in horror at all the smoke coming out of the place. It was even worse up front than it was at a distance. A few of the buildings appared to be knocked over, and she could already see some zoners fleeing for their lives. Their screams intermixed together, swirling around her ears.

Getting closer, Penny could start to feel some heat, and something burning. She felt her skin crawl as she made a turn and she could see flames start to shoot out from a building. She froze in the air for a few seconds, taking in the realization of just how _large and wide spread_ the fire appeared to be. Whipping out her magic chalk, she zipped in closer.

Drawing a large bucket of water, she held on as tightly as she could. Her muscles ached and her hands threatened to make her let go. She refused to release her grip and soon she hovered above the building that was on fire. She dumped the water over it. The water rolled over the fire and Penny could hear a loud sizzle sound as it was put out. Penny looked around, trying to see if there were any other buildings on fire.

During her stationary search, she did spot something peculiar in the distance. Something massive, moving through the city quickly. She could hear more screams, and they appeared to be coming from whatever this thing was. Gritting her teeth, she moved over to get a closer look. She clutched her chalk tightly, prepared to fight the beast if she had to.

Soon she was close enough to see what it was. She stopped in her flight tracks, her eyes filling with terror. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

A _massive_ dog... Large and yellow and burley and _mean-looking_. The creature was snapping at zoners left and right, a loud snarl echoing out of its jaws. Its massive head struck a few of the larger zoners, sending them flying through the air.

"_Tell me where she is_!" The dog cried. "_Or I'll tear you all apart_!"

Penny froze at the sound of that booming voice. Her fear was soon replaced with burning anger as she saw the way the beast was treating the zoners. This was no mere feral animal, but a sentient zoner who knew _exactly_ what he was doing. Gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes, Penny launched herself towards the dog, fully prepared to fight.

"_Wait! Stop_!"

Penny was taken aback when she heard someone shout at her. She didn't have time to look over and see who it was. Suddenly, a warm, solid weight slammed against her, and she found herself being propelled to the side. She spun around for a couple seconds before she managed to right herself again. She shook her head and glared in the direction of the person who pushed her, showing displeasure over their actions.

She quickly realized it was Rudy. She stifled a gasp when she saw the multiple scratches and bruises on him. He looked like he had gotten in quite a scuffle.

"Rudy..." Penny started to say. She looked at him up and down, assessing him for injuries. "What happened to you?"

"_No time to explain_!" Rudy turned to face the large dog, who had taken notice of some more zoners trying to get away. "We have to stop him!"

"_That's_ what I was trying to do until _you_ pushed me!" Penny narrowed her eyes. "_Why_ did you interrupt me?"

Rudy looked at her with a solemn expression. "Penny...the dog is after _you_..."

Penny felt her heart freeze at this. The large dog zoner was coming after her? But why? What did he want with her? Where did he plan on taking her? What did he plan on doing to her? These questions and more flooded her mind as she tried to figure out exactly what was going on.

When the dog roared loudly, as more zoners screamed, Penny pushed those thoughts and questions out of her mind. She turned to face the dog, taking on a defensive stance. If the dog thought she was going down that easily, without a fight, she would make sure to give him the shock of his life.

And him threatening zoners like that.. _Unacceptable_. She turned to Rudy, frowning, nodding her head. The two of them would show the zoner exactly what happens when he messes with their zoner pals.

Both wielding a piece of magic chalk, the two zipped out towards the large monster, prepared to fight.

sss

Target? Are these his target? No, none of them look familiar. Not the familiar he had been created with. He looked around frantically, trying to find the one. He had only _one_ job. He cannot botch it up. He refused to mess things up on his first day.

All around him, moving things. What were these things? Not his target. They were just in the way. Obstacles for him to destroy or whatever. He didn't care. His creator didn't care. He pushed past them, using his massive snout to knock them away. He heard them screaming, could see them running. He snorted, narrowing his white eyes. If they didn't want to get attacked, then they should have stayed out of his way.

He continued to run through the city, his mind's gears turning as he tried to figure out where his target was. Maybe not in the city? Maybe she was out somewhere else? He thought she would be here. No? Outside city, in the forest maybe? Yes, maybe there.

He sniffed the air, taking in the various smells that hung in the air of the city. He ignored the horrific smells of smog and metal, and tried to focus on the sweeter scent of grass. He shifted his head in that direction, curling his lips up. He then attempted to move forward. He hit against something. He backed up and growled. He stared down.

_Another_ obstacle. Small, round, and red. Bouncy. He licked his lips slowly. For some reason, the sight of it was making him eager to bite down on it. No, he can't do that. He needed to stay focused. He had just one job. That was all he was created to do.

_Find Penny_. That's what he needed to do. Find her, and bring her back. Creator wants her. Creator wanted her safe. That's all she wanted. That was all that mattered. And that was all he cared about. Damn everything else to tell. They didn't matter, not even this pathetic red thing that dare get in his way. He lifted up his foot and struck down. The thing couldn't get out of the way in time. The satisfying feeling of a crunch, and blood splatter. He smirked at this before continuing on.

Suddenly, something zipped in front of his face. He jerked his head back, raising his ears and growling in confusion and uncertaintity. He turned his head from side to side, keeping his teeth bared and flashing. Two new obstacles in the air. They were zipping around him. They were trying to stop him. _The fools_... Why didn't they get the message? Why didn't they just leave him alone? No matter. He was authorized to do whatever it took to get Penny. Two nuisances weren't going to stop him.

He snapped his jaws at them, slamming them shut. He felt his teeth clang against each other again and again. He missed them. He snarled, whirling his body around. He raised himself up on his hind legs and struck out with his claws. The sharp tips merely whooshed, narrowly missing his targets. He opened his jaws and let out a frustrated roar as his attacks kept failing. Why won't these things die already?

He didn't give up. He refused. The things were moving around him, trying to make him dizzy. No, he wouldn't allow them to do that. He struck out at them again and again. He bit down in the air, trying to snag one of them in his jaws. Missed. He snapped again. He grabbed one. Smirking in triumph, he started to pull his head back to throw the thing into the ground. He never got far as something struck him on the side of his face. Something hard. He yelped and took a step back. He shook his head, ignoring the sizzling sound of flames shooting out from his prey's feet.

The thing that struck him appeared to be a levitating bat of some kind, controlled by the creature. He shook his head, raising his hair on end. He charged forward, slamming his head against the creature, knocking its friend back. He listened to it grunt as he pushed his foot against a building, keeping it between his paw and the hard surface. He put his head close, opening his mouth and snarling in its face.

The look of terror on its face. _Yes_. That's the face he wanted. Creature interrupted. Creature was an obstacle. Creature needed to be dealt with. He raised his paw and started to strike down.

He paused. His eyes widened, staring at the creature before him. It struggled, jerking itself from side to side. Its friend was coming over to help. He struck at it, barely paying attention to the screams as it fall into the ground and tumbled.

_This creature...so familiar_...

The eyes, the hair, the glasses... And the way it was using that white stick. Wait..._white stick_..magic chalk... _Creator_... He shifted his gaze down for a moment. The other creature. _Another creator_. This one he was pinning, a creator, too.

No, not just any creator. He leaned close to it. It squirmed, trying to get itself free. He could feel it push against his paw, calling out for its comrade. He sniffed it a few times, taking in its scent.

He widened his white eyes and snapped his head back. He couldn't believe it. _Success_. Target located.

"_Penny_..."

The creature started at him. After a few seconds, he could hear the response, "Yes...I am Penny. Let me go."

He stared at her for a few seconds. He was no longer aware of anything else. Everything faded away. Nothing else mattered. He found what he had come here for. At last. The target has been acquired. His creator will be so pleased with him. Ignoring the screams of the obstacles, ignoring the desperate cries of the other creator, he snagged the target in his jaws, using his teeth to pin her arms against her side. He then turned and fled through the city.

sss

_Oh no_... No, not her. Not Penny..

Rudy's mind raced as he watched the beast carry off his friend. He locked eyes with Penny, seeing just how scared and terrified she looked. She was trapped in the monster's mouth, unable to use the magic chalk. He had failed. He tried to keep the beast away, and he had failed her.

"Rudy! _Help me_! Please!"

Rudy took in a shaky breath as he listened to the screams of his friend. They were so horror-filled, and as the seconds passed, they just got fainter. He watched as the beast carried his friend further and further away.

He tried to get up. He tried to climb to his feet so he could chase after her. He only succeeded in falling back into the ground. He cried out as he felt his chin slam against something hard beneath him. The rocky, concrete ground. He yelped as he felt his teeth sink into his own tongue. He could taste the salty blood in his mouth. He coughed a few times, seeing some droplets of crimson fall to the ground. He had felt himself jerk forward, as if something held him back. He turned his head to see what was causing it.

His leg was caught. There was a crack in the ground, probably from the beast slamming him. He pulled at his leg, then stopping to yelp in pain as he accidentally twisted his leg. His side slammed against the ground, and he let out another cry, feeling his leg being bent even further. He turned himself onto his stomach and pushed himself onto his hands. He needed to get out of here.

He took out his magic chalk. He looked over at the crack where his foot was. He reached down and drew a circle. In seconds, the circle completed and it created a hole. With a large chunk of the concrete floor now gone, Rudy easily pulled his foot out. He rolled along the ground with the pressure suddenly gone, and he laid down on his back. He seethed in pain a few times before sitting himself up to assess the damage.

His leg looked badly bruised. He could see the dark purple spot forming around his leg, where the skin was exposed. He flinched at the sight of this. He reached down and touched the area. He recoiled when he felt just how tender and sore it was. He quickly drew himself a cane. He got up to his feet, wobbling and staggering to the side even with the help of a cane. Once he got settled, he tried to figure out what he was going to do.

He had to go after Penny. If he left now, he would be able to catch up. If he were in the air, he wouldn't have to worry about his leg as much. He would not be able to walk like this. He tested his theory out, taking a step forward, and nearly fell over. No, there was _no way_ he could.

Thankfully, his rocket shoes were both still on. He growled in the direction the beast left in. Their initial plan may have failed. Their attempts to stop him may not have worked, despite the manuevering and planning they had made. But they weren't out yet. At least not him. Penny was counting on him and he wasn't going to fail her. He ignited his rocket shoes and took off towards the retreating beast.

He soon caught up with the beast. The large dog stopped in his tracks when Rudy moved out in front of him. The dog stared at him with wide, white eyes, and then he growled softly. Rudy hovered in the air, glaring back at him. The dog moved his head to one side, as if he were trying to tell him to get out of the way. Rudy shook his head.

"Rudy! _Get back_!" Penny cried.

Rudy looked down at her. "_No! I won't leave you_!"

Rudy almost didn't notice the paw coming at him. He let out a shout of surprise and moved back. He winced as he felt the rush of air brush past him. He flinched when he felt the claws barely graze his already damaged leg. He clutched it to himself, gripping it tightly.

He barely had time to move back again when the beast tried to attack a second time. The claws ripped through the air, grazing against his stomach and chest. The ability of flight was the _only thing_ preventing Rudy from becoming dog chow. Yet despite the advantage, he still found himself desperately dodging the dog. He didn't even have time to draw _anything_; he was focusing all his concentration on just staying out of the way.

Realizing the danger of fighting the dog here, Rudy zipped towards the outskirts of town. Just as he hoped, the beast followed him. He could hear the thunderous claps of each foot fall behind him. He struggled to keep ahead, but the creature was faster than he had predicted. He could feel hot breath behind him as the beast was so close, a flare of his nostrils could reach him.

Soon, they were outside of the city. He whirled himself around to face his opponent. He was suddenly struck by the back of the claws. He screamed as he tumbled through the air. He desperately righted himself up before he fell into the ground. He shook his head and glared at the large dog before him.

"I won't let you take Penny, you monster!" Rudy raised up his magic chalk. He watched as the dog's eyes widened, as if he realized that he was in trouble. "If you don't let my friend go, I will _make_ you let her go!"

For a few moments, the dog just stared at him. The air around him grew tense, neither daring to look away. It was like some kind of contest between the two. White eyes on green. Nothing could tear them away. Nothing could make them turn their heads. Not until one of them made a decision.

And it didn't take long for that.

The dog creature shook his head feverishly. He pulled his lips back into a snarl, showing Rudy his sharp teeth. He took a fighting stance, pressing his claws into the grassy dirt below him. He glared intently at Rudy, his tail swishing from side to side. Rudy remained quiet, staring at him. Realizing that the dog beast was not going to back down, he knew that he had no choice.

Rudy raised his magic chalk once more. "All right then..." He saids oftly. "I guess we are going to do this the _hard_ way."

Giving a loud snarl that Rudy took as a yes, the yellow dog bounded towards him, still holding Penny in his jaws. Rudy took quick note of how the dog was being gentle enough that his teeth weren't penetrating her skin. But this provided little relief; maybe he was just saving her for later, or didn't want his teeth ruined by her Real World blood.

Rudy wasted no time. Narrowing his eyes in determination, he activated the thrusters on his rocket shoes and he made a beeline towards the beast. The dog would have roared if he didn't have Penny in his mouth. He stood up on his hind legs, raising his paw in the air. Rudy watched as the claws flexed, and then struck out at him.

Rudy managed to dodge to the side. He moved quickly enough to avoid getting hit this time. The dog wasn't finished with him, however. He had to dodge another attack, another swipe of his paw. A lunge at him, which Rudy narrowly escaped. He winced as he heard the loud thud of the dog landing. This thing was _heavy_.

He dodged a few more attacks, zipping from side to side. He did his best to stay one step ahead of the dog. He looked back at Penny, watching as she struggled to get free. Rudy turned himself around and went towards her, only to have the beast's head strike at him. He tumbled to the side, yowling in pain as his leg was struck. He shook his head to recover himself, and he took off back towards them.

He tried to get close enough to grab Penny, only to be struck away yet again. The claws hit against his back, forcing him into the ground. Rudy rolled across the ground painfully, getting dirt in his mouth. He spat it out, coughing. He felt a shadow form on him. He looked up and saw a massive foot being held over him. His eyes widened in horror. The beast was going to kill him, _just like he killed that innocent zoner_...

The memory of that was enough to bring his blood to a boil, renewing him with more confidence and determination. Still fresh on his mind, he could see that poor zoner being squashed, his life blood spilled onto the ground. He could hear his screams, which were instantly turned into gurgles, and then, in a flash, silence. He and Penny had tried not to stare at the crushed body as they focused on the massive dog. They tried not to focus on one of the horrified zoners coming over, mourning his friend's loss. But now it was flooding back to him, giving him another reason to take down his monster. Who knows how many more zoners he had _murdered in cold blood_..?

"You...will _not_ get away with this.." Rudy declared. He moved a little away from the zoner, putting distance between him and the massive yellow dog. He began to circle him, looking for a weakness to exploit. "You will be stopped. _I swear it_..."

The dog stared at him, his eyes filling with disbelief, and then he seemed almost humored. He could see the lips tick up into a smile. Rudy narrowed his eyes further. Did this dog think he was some kind of joke? Well, maybe he should show him just how '_funny_' he could really be.

The next move happened before Rudy had time to think. The creature, moving faster than he had anticipated, lunged towards him, paws spread forward. Rudy let out a scream as one of the paws hit him. Before he knew it, he was thrust down into the ground. He let out a grunt as the air was forced out of his lungs. The massive foot was lifted off from him, and he let out a few wheezing gasps of air. He looked up at the dog, his vision slightly blurred from the impact.

The dog smirked down at him. In his jaws, Rudy could see Penny looking down at him in absolute horror, her mouth dropping open. Rudy tried to speak, but for a few moments, his breath was gone, and he was unable to articulate words.

"P-Penny..."

That was all he was able to get out of his mouth before the dog struck him a second time. The paw hit him against his side, and he let out a scream as he was tossed through the air.

"_Rudy! No_!" Penny screamed loudly in horror.

Rudy couldn't respond to her. He couldn't even look in her direction. He shut his eyes as he slammed into the ground with great force. The impact sent pain seering through his body. More dirt got stuffed into his mouth as he rolled across the ground. He stopped a couple feet away. He laid there for a few moments, whimpering in pain.

He shook his head and looked over at the yellow dog. At this point, the canine seemed to have lost interest in him. He could hear Penny calling out to him, begging him to leave and get help. Rudy climbed up to his feet, trembling, as he watched them go, ignoring the pain in his leg.

Standing on the leg was difficult, and he had lost the cane earlier. But the adrenaline that pumped through his body helped to numb the pain a little. Right now, his mind was focused on combating this dog and helping his friend.

Penny cried out to him, "Get help! Leave me and get help!"

_Leave her_? No...he won't do that. Never would he do that. He had to help her now. Rudy, narrowing his eyes in determination, reignited his shoes and rose up in the air. He took off after them.

The dog's ears pricked up when he heard the rocket sounds behind him. He stopped and turned his head. His eyes narrowed in contempt when he saw Rudy coming over. There was also a look of disgust on his face, as if he saw Rudy as nothing more than _mere vermin_ to be exterminated. His heart pounded in his chest when he realized that's probably how the dog saw him as well. If that's the case, he is going to be in for a world of disappointment; he was not going to give him a chance to do anything to him or his friend.

Rudy raised up the magic chalk, narrowing his eyes further. The dog growled softly and turned himself around. He reared up on his hind legs and slammed himself into the ground. Rudy winced as he practically felt the vibrations from here. But he did not run. Penny needed his help. Holding up his magic chalk, he swiftly began to draw. He needed something simple, quick to draw, yet still affective. He knew something that just might work.

In seconds, Rudy drew a dog whistle. He grabbed it in his hands as soon as it materialized. He held it up in the air for the yellow dog to see. The massive canine's eyes bulged and he appeared to realize what was going to happen. He began to turn to run, but Rudy never gave him a chance to get that far.

Knowing that there would be no harm done to him or Penny, he took in a deep breath and blew as hard as he could. While Penny did not appear to react, the dog was a whole different story.

With very wide, white eyes, the dog pulled his head back, waving it from side to side. He pawed at his ears with his feet, letting out loud whimpers of discomfort. Rudy felt guilty as he watched the large zoner show real distress, but he couldn't stop. He kept blowing, hoping that it would eventually be enough to make him let go. At first, the dog zoner showed no signs of letting go, instead resorting to running around in place, shaking his head, letting out guttural growls and whines.

Then finally, he was unable to hold back for much longer. With tears forming in his eyes, the dog opened his jaws open to let out a loud scream. Penny let out one of her own as she fell towards the ground. Rudy zipped towards her and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. The two humans landed their feet on the grass and, with no time to exchange thanks, turned their attention towards the large dog.

"_You...! How dare you_...! Interrupting me with that _hideous_ device?!" The dog screamed.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you get away with this." Rudy said as he pointed his magic chalk towards the beast. "Why don't you just surrender?"

The dog widened his eyes, then flattened his ears. He shook his head a second time, as if trying to get the loud, ringing sound out of his ears. He patted his paw against his head a few times, and then emitted a low, guttural growl. "I _cannot_ do that. I _must_ succeed in my mission."

Rudy narrowed his eyes at this. Of course the dog zoner wasn't going to give up. He had met plenty of rather stubborn villains, so the dog's behavior didn't surprise it. It was, of course, rather frustrating and gave him more work to do. Then again, he couldn't exactly expect a villain to just give up so easily on their goals, no matter how ludicrous or unachievable they were. If they weren't trying to do something so bad, he could almost..admire them.

He turned to Penny. The girl was staring at the beast before her. She looked shaken, but otherwise was fine. Rudy didn't see any injuries on her. He let out a sigh of relief before turning back to the dog. The two of them had to figure out a way to stop this dog, subdue him. Then they needed to learn just why he wanted to take Penny. They had to figure out who was behind all of this, before that person could strike again.

Rudy raised up his magic chalk. He turned to Penny again and gave her a knowing nod. Penny returned it, taking out her own piece. The two of them glared at the dog. Without thinking, they took to the air, the flames shooting them upwards, levitating them off the ground.

As if on cue, the dog beast charged towards them. He swatted at them, mainly focusing on Rudy. He snapped his jaws at him, trying to catch him. Occassionally, he'd go after Penny, but use considerably less force. The dog was rather swift for his size, jumping from side to side and whirling around quickly, turning on a dime with ease. Loud yowls and growls filled the air as he desperately tried to get one of them.

The two children had some trouble keeping away from him. They zipped around in the air, moving in circles and dodging left and right. A few times, the dog almost got one of them, only for them to manage a last second change of direction. They could feel the rush of air as the dog jumped by them, his teeth or claws just barely missing them. The dog roared loudly and jumped, forcing the two to dive down and then make an abrupt turn to the right. They could hear a loud thud behind them and watched as the dog skidded for a few seconds along the ground. He then stopped, looked at them, and roared at them. He pawed the ground and charged again.

He jumped at them. Rudy and Penny moved to the sides. The yellow beast jumped in between them. Dust and dirt were kicked up from the ground as he landed. Rudy and Penny were in shock at just how close they were to him, and just how little odds they had in dodging that. They were stunned for a few moments, allowing the dog to whirl around and bite at them.

"_Rudy_!" Penny screamed in horror. "_Look out_!"

Rudy let out a horrified cry as the dog snapped his jaws at him. The boy managed to fly backwards just in time for the jaws to slam shut in front of him. There was a loud, almost echoy clang as the teeth collided with one another. Rudy could feel his face pale when he saw that the bite missed him only by a few inches. He moved out further, taking on a defensive stance.

This was seriously one _bad_ dog. He and Penny had to do something about him soon, before he had a chance to take Penny herself to wherever he wanted to, before he could cause more damage to ChalkZone. But what were they going to do? _What_ would stop a large dog? The whistle was only temporary. If only there were some gigantic dog pound that could...

_Wait... Dog pound... That's it_. Rudy turned his brightened eyes to Penny. They locked on to hers, and the girl looked at him with curiosity. She flew in closer, one eye cautiously looking at the dog to make sure he didn't try anything.

"What's your idea?" Asked Penny.

"We need to draw a large cage!" Rudy exclaimed. He used his hands, spreading them out to indicate what he meant. "We can encase him in a large, unbreakable barrier! That will keep him contained while the zoner police come and figure out what to do with him."

"That's a great idea, Rudy!" Penny rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "But we will need to keep him in one spot..."

"Oh yeah..." Rudy couldn't believe he forgot about that. It would be silly of him to expect the dog to just hold still while they were trapping him. He wasn't stupid; he would realize what they were doing and get away. What they needed was a way to keep him from moving much so they could encase him.

"And I think I know how." Penny said, raising a finger. Rudy looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell him what the plan was. "We're going to need.." Suddenly her voice trailed off. Her eyes bulged open. "_Get out of the way_!"

Rudy looked over just in time to see a large, yellow paw strike at him. It collided with the front of his body. He shut his eyes and let out a scream. Unable to see, he could only feel the sensation of himself losing control. He spun around in circles and he collided against something hard. The back of his head took a hard hit, and he felt himself slump down. He looked up, seeing the dog and Penny through very blurry vision. Then everything darkened and he passed out.

sss

Penny stared down at the prone form of her friend. Her body shook in fear, unable to comprehend what had happened. One second, Rudy was fine and speaking to her. The next, he laid still on the ground.

She felt her heart twist. How could they have been so stupid? How could she have been so blind? They were in the middle of a battle with this dog creature. And they both chose now, of all times, to discuss a plan. And the dog had taken advantage of this and got in a surprise attack. She bit her lip, wanting nothing more than to rush down and help her friend.

But she couldn't. _Not now_. She turned her attention back to the dog. She noticed how he was heading towards her friend. She could see the way his teeth were bared, the gums pulled back to show the razor sharp teeth. She narrowed her eyes. _Oh no he doesn't_...

She lifted up her magic chalk and dove down towards the monster. When she got close enough, she pressed the chalk against the air, creating a long line. She began to fly around the canine, continuously creating a long, durable line. Around and around she went, avoiding any attack the dog tried to place against her.

She looked around the back legs, and then moved towards the front. She looped around about four times, ignoring any signs of dizziness that tried to descend upon her. She then paused, allowing the lines to materialize as what she had intended: rope.

Then, mustering up her strength, she gave a sharp tug.

The dog's eyes widened as he felt his legs suddenly being yanked towards each other. He let out a yelp as he fell into the ground. His side slammed against it heavily. His legs were bound close together, hog tie similiar what Penny had seen pigs tied into before. She looped around some more rope and secured the knot even further. She than flew away and watched the giant dog to make sure he couldn't get out of it.

The yellow dog let out a series of growls as he tried to kick his legs. He squirmed and writhed, opening his mouth and letting out desperate grunts. They soon melded into whimpers and whines as he found that he wasn't able to get up. He still kept struggling, looking more and more panicked as he remained trapped on the ground.

Satisfied the dog could not get to her anymore, Penny took position in front of him. She stared into his eyes, noting how panic-filled they were. The dog stared at her in disbelief. He squirmed a little more, desperate to get himself free. Eventually he just stopped and stared at Penny in the eyes.

"_Please_, let me go." The dog pleaded with her.

Penny folded her arms against her chest. "Why should I? After what you've done?" She pointed a finger at him. "You should be ashamed!"

"B-But..I didn't do anything wrong! I was just following orders!" Wailed the giant dog.

Penny growled at this. She hated it when villains tried to say they weren't doing anything wrong. It was just a way for them to push aside their guilt. "Oh yeah? And just what were you told to do?"

The dog said, "I was supposed to take you to the portal!"

Penny raised an eyebrow. How interesting. "_Which_ portal?"

The yellow dog jerked his head to one side. "The one over there. There's a pile of numbers and such underneath it. Well, where a portal would normally be that is."

Penny stared at the dog in confusion. _A pile of numbers_? What was he talking about? She soon realized the dog was _not_ referring to the hidden portal which might be where Howdy had snuck off to. Instead, the direction the dog indicated was somewhere else entirely, in more familiar ground. In fact, a little too familiar...

She took in a sharp gasp when she realized that there was a place over there with numbers. There was a particular location where she would find a huge pile of letters just laying about.

Her own place. After all, she writes a lot of equations for school and such. _But..wouldn't that mean_...?

"..._who_ was your creator? _Who_ sent you to get me...?"

A tense silence, and then the dog uttered his answer. "Your mother."

Penny felt her heart freeze at this. Her..her mother drew this beast? Her mother did this? She..she thought she... _Oh no_... What did her mother almost do? Did she have any idea what she almost had done?

Penny took a few steps back, clutching her head tightly. She clenched her teeth, her swirling mind trying to come to terms with this. She lowered her head, her body shaking with emotion. Unable to hold back, she pulled her head back and, with her eyes shut and mouth split open wide, she let out a scream.

sss

Terry stared down at the unconscious form of the zoner. She clenched her teeth tightly, taking in a few quick breaths. The zoner appeared to be fine, minus the unconscious part, and the injuries he had already recieved. Her mind was in turmoil as she tried to make sense of what she had done.

_Why_ did she do that? Why did she try so hard to save this little creature's life? No, that's not what she did. She was just trying to preserve the specimen. That's what she kept telling herself over and over again. She reminded herself it was all professional. She shouldn't have any kind of emotional attachment to this creature, and she didn't... _Did_ she? No, she did not.

Then, why did she react so badly when she had walked in? It was just because she didn't want to lose their test subject. That's all it was. She forced herself to exhale, keeping on telling herself that. It was all just professional...

She couldn't fight back the bitter feeling rising up in her stomach. In addition to her confusion, she was also furious with Dr. Von Doktor. His experiments were starting to get a little out of hand. She had allowed him to do this to gather information, and she admitted some of the experimentations were a little fun. But now it was getting ridiculous. She found it hard to believe that Von, a scientist, couldn't tell that Blocky was starting to suffer from heat exhaustion...or was it heat stroke? Whichever. It didn't matter. Point was Blocky was on the verge of collapse, and yet Von was _still_ cranking up that dial...

Yeah she overreacted. She had seen the zoner was about to suffer some major damage, and she had raged against Von about what he was doing. She had lost her temper, and she had attacked him. She had knocked him out. She bit her lip, realizing just how unprofessional that was. Oh well...maybe he won't remember anything when he woke up...?

Terry stared down at the zoner again. He was placed up against a cooling pad that she had found. There was also an empty bottle of chalk water; she had given him some water to rehydrate him when she took him back. The zoner was barely conscious then, but it was enough to help him get some water back into his system. Now he laid sleeping, to use a less harsh term, against the cool surface, which was helping to bring his body temperature back to normal.

She had a feeling that a heat experiment would be more risky than a cold one. She should have voiced her concerns with Dr. Von Doktor, and perhaps try to convince him skip this experiment or be more restrictive on this. But she didn't and because of that, they nearly lost the little runt.

But.._why should she care_...? Sure, there was the issue with getting another zoner. But why did she feel anything for him? Why did she feel a slight pang in her stomach when she stared down at him? It didn't really matter, right? He could just be redrawn. Isn't that how it worked in the chalk world?

Terry shook her head, trying to push out any of those doubtful feelings. She had to remind herself that Blocky was just a zoner and there was little reason to care what happened to him. She also reminded herself that some of the testing was necessary; after all, if people were going to come and go in the chalk world, they were going to need to know their strengths and weaknesses, right?

Well, enough of this. She needed to go check on Von anyway. She had left him back in that room. She wasn't sure if he had woken up yet or not. She would have to face him, and confront him on what had happened. Her actions may have possibly ruined their partnership, but there was still hope that she could fix things. This was her shot at revenge, and she wasn't willing to let it go that easily.

Taking one last look at the zoner, the woman turned and began to head out the door. She didn't get far when she suddenly collided with someone. She grunted and took a step back. She looked to see who she had run into. To no surprise, it was Von.

Terry took a few steps back. She stared at the man for a few seconds, her eyes wide. Then she narrowed them. "So...you've awaken..."

Dr. Von Doktor snarled at her. "Hello, _Terry_..." He said in a darkened voice. "May we..._chat_?"

sss

Rudy wasn't sure what to think. His mind was swirling with thoughts, unable to fully comprehend them all. He had hardly moved from his spot since he had heard the news. He tried not to think about it, and yet..how could he ignore something like _this_? It was impossible. He could hear the words being repeated in his head over and over again. Even though nearly an hour had passed, he could still hear the words clear in his head, as if they were just spoken.

He stared over at Penny, waiting to see if she had lied or been mistaken. A part of him desperately hoped so. What she said...it couldn't have been true, right? _No_...it had to be a misunderstanding of some kind. There had to be something that he and Penny missed. Something that would clear this whole thing up.

Yet...nothing came to mind. His brain was drawing a blank. He couldn't think of anything that would deter this away from what he and Penny had previously concluded. And the confirmation they had gotten... He couldn't very well deny that, now could he? No, he could not. He had to face facts, as much as he hated it. There was only one reality placed in front of him. Only one thing that could be true.

_Penny's mom was the one who drew that dog_. Penny's mom was the one who sent the dog to go find Penny. She had _authorized_ him to do whatever it took to bring Penny back.

This had been quite a shock to his system, and to Penny's as well. When he had woken up and he had gotten his focus back, Penny had informed him of this. At first, he thought she was joking, but his denial was all but shattered when they went back into the Real World and learned from Penny's mom about this.

She had admitted to drawing the dog. The two of them had been horrified, but Rudy kept silent. He stared out blankly as he listened to the two females talking with each other. This helped to paint a better picture of what had happened.

Apparently, Penny's mom had been so worried about Penny being gone for so long, so worried that something might have happened to her, she had sent out a dog zoner to find her. She had apologized for her hasty behavior, but reminded Penny that she should have been back home sooner. Penny had tried to tell her mom what happened, but the woman had to leave and take care of an impatient client, leaving her and him sometime alone together.

Rudy couldn't believe what had taken place. All because of a worried mother, parts of the city had been destroyed and some zoners were hurt. And then there were some that were _killed_. Cold chills ran up and down his spine. He felt such a strong mixture of anger and pity for the woman. On the one hand, he couldn't blame her for worrying about Penny. But on the other, did she really have to draw a _merciless dog_ to get Penny back home...?

He stared over at Penny. He looked at her up and down again. His eyes scanned over her body. He did feel relief that Penny wasn't hurt worse by the dog's attacks. He was shocked by how reckless the dog was. If he was only meant to take Penny home, he could have been a lot more gentle with her. The fact that Penny may have suffered internal damage certainly didn't help.

_And with that large dog running amok_... They were both really lucky to have gotten away with minimal extra damage. He suffered the worse, but the only really bad injury he got was his leg, and that had become rather manageable already. The wound wasn't as bad as he thought it was. He did have a bump on his head that needed to be checked out, but Rudy was confident that it wasn't a bad injury.

He knew that Aunt Tilly was going to want to talk to Penny's mom about this. She hadn't arrived yet, but he knew it wouldn't be too long. He winced, realizing that this incident may cause his aunt to change her mind about letting him come into ChalkZone. _If she saw him injured_...

He wanted to convince himself that his aunt would try to be more reasonable, but he reminded himself of what happened with Mrs. Sanchez. The woman had sent a reckless zoner out into ChalkZone to bring back Penny. The dog was being taken care of as he sat here, but that didn't erase what the zoner had done, nor did it make him forget that Mrs. Sanchez was the one who drew the creature in the first place.

What of his aunt? _What would she do_? She was harder to convince than Mrs. Sanchez. Would her reaction be even _worse_? Would she take more drastic action? Rudy shuddered at the thought. He felt a pang in his stomach as he realized just how much of this might have been ruined all because of an act of desperation.

Sure, he couldn't blame Mrs. Sanchez for her reaction. She did legitimately think that Penny was in danger. But couldn't she have used a less...dramatic way to do it? Why create something so _vicious_?

Rudy leaned back in the couch and exhaled slowly. He turned his head, staring at Penny, who sat next to him. There was heavy air of slience between them. It was almost deafening as they waited for their folks to come over and speak to them.

"I still can't believe my mom had..." Penny spoke, breaking the silence. She had her gaze tilted upwards. "I thought she trusted me. Why would she..."

"I guess she was just really worried about you." Rudy said, trying to sound supportive. "She just wanted to make sure you were safe. Though I admit, the giant dog was a tad overdone..."

"You _think_?" Penny said. She stared over at Rudy, her eyes narrowed slightly. "You saw what that zoner did, Rudy. He wrecked the place! And what's _worse_..." She placed a hand over her face. "My mom created him to be _that_ way!"

Rudy looked at her sadly, biting his lip. He couldn't blame her for being so upset. "I know, Penny. But there's nothing we can do about it now. At least the dog has been stopped."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah...you're right..." She was silent for a moment, taking in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "We'll just have to make sure to inform our folks of what to do, and what not to do. Maybe if they better understand, they'd be less likely to put out something like that."

"Yeah..." Rudy agreed. "I..."

Suddenly he went silent. There was something he realized didn't make sense. He stared at Penny, wondering if she had a hand. The thought chilled him, but the only way to find out was to ask. And with her staring at him in confusion, he couldn't stay silent for long.

"Penny...I just realized... Your mom, she knew about creating a dog. _How did she know_...?"

Penny paused for a moment. She bit her lip, shifting her eyes from side to side. Even though she didn't open her mouth, Rudy knew the answer shining in her eyes. He moved his head back, and stared at her in disbelief.

"_Y-You told her_..." He breathed softly, feeling a burning sensation rise up inside of him.

"I'm sure you told your aunt." Penny started to say, but Rudy dismissed her words.

"I can't believe you told her.." He slowly straightened himself up, an attempt to make himself look taller. Penny leaned back, her eyes beginning to show signs of confusion. "Penny, you _knew_ how _dangerous_ that was!"

Penny stared at him for a few seconds, looking surprised by this turn of events. She then narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at him. "What about you? Oh sure, you haven't done anything to jeopardize ChalkZone!"

Rudy could feel the cold wave of emotion sweep up along his back. A part of him realized that things were getting out of hand so swiftly. The other part just allowed the anger and emotion from their earlier spat rise up inside, swirling around his mind, taking him over. For that moment, he no longer felt sympathy for Penny, something that he wasn't proud of. The only thing he could see was the person that had caused the problems herself.

"At least I wasn't stupid enough to let a tracker get put into me!" Rudy said, pressing a thumb against his chest to indicate himself. "I would have been suspicious of Dr. Von Doktor, and I would have checked myself, and I would have found the tracker and have it removed! But _you_..." He pointed an accusatory finger at Penny. "You did nothing! You didn't show any sign of concern that Von was there! You weren't suspicious! You didn't try to do anything! You..."

"That's not true!" Penny jumped off the couch. She glared at Rudy in the eyes. "And you know that!"

"_Oh really now_?" Rudy said, a dark smirk spreading across his face. "Then how come you didn't have the tracker removed?"

"I didn't know about it!" Penny cried.

"_Exactly_! You didn't know! Because you couldn't be bothered to check!" Rudy snarled at her. "You are supposed to be smart, Penny! Well I'm having a hard time believing that right now..."

Penny took in a few quick breaths at this. Rudy could see the anger swelling in her face. The tension betwene the two was building up rapidly, and though Rudy wanted to stop, he found himself unable to. He watched as Penny took a step forward and point an accusatory finger at him. "Don't you dare try to pin this whole rap on me, Rudy! You had as much to do with this as me..perhaps even _more_!"

Rudy widened his eyes at this. He narrowed them deeply. "_How dare you_..."

Penny sneered at him as the cloud of emotion began to affect their judgments. "What? You can't handle the _truth_?" She frowned at him. "If you hadn't left that portal open, Rudy, _none_ of this would have happened!"

Rudy felt a surge of fire rush through his body. How dare Penny say that.. How dare she try to blame him for what happened... How dare she try to shift all the blame onto him.. Sure, he left the portal open, but he had done that before without a problem. How could he have known today would have been different? But Penny..she _knew_ that Von was up to no good and she _still_ didn't try to do anything about it. And because of that, the tracker went undetected and...

He stood up from the couch. He flinched slightly as he put weight on his leg. He focused on Penny, his anger enabling him to ignore whatever agony was left in his leg. He took a step forward, staring into Penny's eyes. They were locked onto each other, intensified by the weight of emotion growing all around them. They lose sight of their surroundings, and they only knew each other in that moment.

"Are you saying it's _my_ fault...?" Rudy asked in a forcibly quiet voice. "Are you saying that those zoners died because of me...?"

"Well, Rudy, if you had closed the portal, then Von and Terry would have nothing to get into ChalkZone with. Now they possess the chalkboard with that portal on, I might add, and now we have this whole crisis to take care of!" She raised her hands over her head, emphasizing her statement. "And it wouldn't have happened if you had done your job as ChalkZone's protector!"

Rudy took in a sharp gasp. His body gave a shiver as the negative emotion swelled up even more. He felt the back of his head heat up, a headache beginning to spread to his forehead. Without thinking, he seized Penny by her shoulders. "And what about you?! You were the one who told your mom about how to create zoners on the chalkboard! You were the one who was knocked out by an untrustworthy scientist and did nothing about it! You were the one who led Von to our place! I'm certain your actions, or rather, _inactions_, may have helped Von discover a parallel dimension, or given Terry a way of proving it to him! You were..."

Penny started to push back against Rudy. "You don't know any of that, Rudy! You don't know how much my actions caused any of this! You don't know that I..."

"I do know enough that you're as much to blame for this as you think I am!" Rudy tightened his grip on Penny. He started to push back against her. "You should have been _smarter than this_, Penny! And the fact that you keep blaming me for it, while ignoring your own faults... That's disgusting! I thought you would have been better than this!"

Penny glared at him as she struggled to get herself free. "Let me go, Rudy! This is unacceptable!" Her feet began to slide a little on the ground as Rudy applied more force. "Release me at once!"

Rudy refused to comply. He pushed her even harder, and soon he had her up against the wall. Penny tried to escape, but Rudy's grip was too tight. He growled at her, "_No_! Why should I? It's your fault this happened, Penny! If you weren't so stupid and had actually listened to your gut suspicions, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Don't you fucking dare blame me for this, Rudy! If you had closed the portal like you were supposed to..." Penny started to say.

"_Enough about the fucking portal_!" Rudy could feel his blood boiling over. "Maybe if you been paying attention, you could have stopped them from discovering the location of the portal! This is all your fault and you know it!So stop trying to hide away from responsibility!"

There was a heavy silence between the two children. They glared at each other, panting heavily. The intense emotion ignited all around them, creating a swirling vortex that neither of them could escape. They wanted to stop, yet they could not. They were drawn in, and now instinct was taking over. And neither were willing to back down.

"How can you say it was my fault?" Penny growled. "Why can't you admit your own fault?!"

"At least I _care_ about ChalkZone!" Rudy shouted. Penny's eyes widened in shock at this. Rudy leaned closer to her, putting his face near hers. Unable to stop the sneer from spreading across his face, he said, "I guess Ms. Bouffant was right about you all along.. Maybe you _are_ useless!"

Penny took in a sharp gasp of horror. She stared at Rudy in disbelief. Then, with a surge of emotion, she managed to push Rudy away from her. The boy took a few steps back, glaring at her. The two of them took a defensive stance, hunching their shoulders. It reminded them of last time, only this time, they didn't have anyone to stop them...

"I-I'm not..." Penny stammered. She then shook her head and bared her teeth at Rudy. "You know that's not true, Rudy! I've helped you and Snap out many times and don't you dare try to deny it!"

Rudy smirked at this. In a hissing voice, he said, "Yeah..I can see you're a lot of fucking help, with a mother like that..."

Penny took a step forward. "You take that back!" She and Rudy began to pace around each other, refusing to take their eyes off one another.

Rudy shook his head feverishly. "Why should I? It's damn well true!" He held his hand out in gesture for a few seconds. "It's her fault those zoners are dead, Penny! Face it!" He took a step towards her, lowering his head, keeping his eyes glued on her. What he said next, he could not believe, yet he let it slip out anyway. "You're mother's a cold-blooded _murderer_.. A _psychopath_... A _monster_..."

Before Rudy could fully realize what he had said, he staggered back as a fist collided with his cheek. He let out a yelp as he stumbled back, nearly falling into the ground. He looked over at Penny in shock, noting the fist that was raised, the look of pure _rage_ on her face.

For a few seconds, the two just stared at each other. It felt almost like a western cartoon, with the sheriff and criminal facing off. Rudy could feel his vision start to turn red. He tensed his body up for a few seconds, then, unable to hold back any longer, he lunged for Penny. He collided with her and the two tumbled into the ground.

In that moment, both children were blinded by their rage. All rationality had left them. Before where they stood as friends, now they wrestled with each other with the feral ferocity of _animals_. All the tension and emotion, all the things that had happened, it all culminated and contributed into this. Everything else became a blur.

Rudy opened his jaws and bit down on Penny's arm. She shrieked in pain. She slammed her fist against his stomach, making him wheeze and release her. She forced herself on top of him and grabbed onto his hair. Rudy yelped as he felt his scalp being pulled back. She pushed his head into the ground. Rudy pulled his foot back and kicked her in the stomach. The two children climbed to their feet and they rushed towards each other again. They grabbed onto each other's hands and pushed against one another, trying to force the other back into the ground.

Penny was the first one to weaken. She shut her eyes, her teeth gritted, as she fell into the ground. Rudy took this chance to shove her down, and then delivered a punch against her head. She yelped and fell onto her side. Rudy jumped on top of her and the two began to wrestle. Their growls and grunts filled the room.


	23. Punishments

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 23: Punishments

_**Every action has a repercussion.**_

sss

Penny could hardly remember what happened, or what led up to this point. She didn't remember what happened in ChalkZone, or their narrow escape from that dog, or what happened with Blocky. All she could see was _red_. All she could hear was the _thundering rage_ pumping through her body. The only thing on her mind was _Rudy_. Without rhyme, and only having anger as reason, she fought back against the person whom she had considered to be her best friend.

The two children wrestled with each other across the ground. They were so filled with rage, they couldn't even articulate real words. Only grunts and shouts and hisses, as if they were just mere wild animals that got into a scuffle. They weren't aware of anything around them; only each other.

Penny pulled her fist back and punched Rudy again, connecting it with his jaw. She watched as the boy's head was tossed to the side. He paused for a moment, and then hissed at her, his teeth bared. Before Penny could do anything, she felt Rudy's teeth in her arm again. Her eyes bulged open and she let out a cry. She could feel the teeth start to penetrate her skin. In a panic, she struck against Rudy's head, incapacitating him enough force him to let go. She retaliated by giving him a bite of her own. He screamed as her teeth sank into his arm.

Rudy struggled underneath her. He kicked his feet out wildly, trying to hit her. Penny managed to hold him down, biting down harder on his arm. He was eventually able to free himself. He pulled his arm away, yelping as he felt her teeth slice against his arm. He then rolled himself onto his back. He pulled his legs back and struck against her, kicking her off of him. She rolled across the ground painfully. She pushed herself up onto her hands and coughed a few times.

Suddenly, she felt an arm slunk around her neck. Rudy straddled her, keeping one arm pressed against her throat while the other grabbed her hair. She yelped as she felt her hair being pulled back. She grabbed onto his arm and sank her nails into it, scratching along the skin. When that didn't work, she bit into him again. This was enough to make Rudy loosen his grip, allowing her to slip out from him.

Penny whirled around, staggering back to her feet. Rudy looked at her, his pupils shrank in a blind rage. He charged towards her. His shoulder smashed against her, making her fall back. Penny stumbled backwards for a few seconds. She shook her head, rapidly recovering. Glaring back at Rudy, she kicked the ground as if it was dirt and ran towards him. With her hands out in front of her, she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. Rudy struggled to keep his balance. Seeing this opportunity, Penny rushed over again, this time faster, her eyes narrowed. She shoved him again, this time with more force.

Rudy now laid on his back. His eyes were clinched shut for a few seconds. He glared up at her. Using his left leg, he struck out against her shin. Penny winced as she felt his foot collide against the shallow layer of flesh, clanging against bone. She buckled forward, clutching her leg. Rudy climbed up and he grabbed onto her hair again. Penny let out a scream as she was pulled back into the ground.

Trying desperately to fight back, she grabbed onto his hair and pulled it as hard as he was doing hers. The two children were locked this way for several moments, neither willing to relent. Eventually, the pain became too much, their scalps threatening to rip off their heads, and they let go. They laid there, sitting up, glaring at each other. They bared their teeth and went for each other again.

Rudy delivered a punch against her face. Penny let out a scream, holding her sore jaw. She hissed at him and delivered a punch of her own, placing it in the center of his face. He stumbled backwards, waving his arms around in an attempt to keep himself from falling over. He then lunged for her and bit down onto her hand, specifically her finger.

Penny shrieked at this and tried to yank her hand back. Rudy merely tightened his jaws around it, his teeth pressing further against the skin. She grabbed his face and started to push back against him, her nails digging in. But no matter how hard she pushed against him, Rudy would not relent. Out of desperation, she slammed her leg between his. A _low, dirty move_, but in the moment, she did not care.

With Rudy stumbling back, having released her finger, Penny lowered her head and charged towards him. She collided with him, her head slamming against his chest. She pushed him against the wall, and held him there. Rudy returned the favor, colliding his chin with the top of her head. This attack stunned her enough for Rudy to push her back, freeing himself. She shook her head and, after snarling at him, ran towards him again.

She punched him, making him stumble to the side. He growled at this and ran towards her side. He opened his mouth wide and he bit down onto her arm, grabbing onto it this time to prevent her from getting away. Penny gripped his arm in return, her teeth sinking into his flesh.

All the while, they kept pushing against each other. The harder they pushed, the harder they bit, the more both refused to relent. Penny's mind swirled with thoughts, still locked in a feral stance, unable to think of anything except beating Rudy at this fight. She continued to push back against him, as he did with her. Their bodies shook as they exerted as much strength on the other.

Then, finally, with a strong shove, the two found themselves losing their grip on the other and they stumbled backwards. Horrific pain shot through them as they each _racked off a piece of flesh_ from each other. Their screams of pain intermixed together. Short, but loud and filled with emotion. They took a few steps back from each other, clutching their arms against their chests.

Penny stared down at her arm. She could see the extent of the damage. A small piece of flesh had been ripped off of her. She could see the blood dripping down her arm. She could feel pain radiating from her arm, extenting up and down the limb.

In addition, she could feel something in her mouth. Wet, and kind of salty. She moved it around her mouth, some confusion coming into the forefront of her thoughts. She spat it out into her hand, and it took her only seconds to realize what it was. _A chunk of Rudy's flesh_... Not much, like with her, but still there.

In that moment, Penny froze, her eyes widening. At last, the anger and rage she felt quickly dissipated, the pain and horror of what happened finally making itself known, taking over her brain. The sight of Rudy's flesh and the sight of her own damaged arm, along with the feelings of horrible pain, were enough to kick her out of her feral state, forcing her to confront a new, just as negative emotion: _shock_.

Lifting up her head, she looked over at Rudy. The boy stood several feet away from her. His body was hunched almost defensively. He was glaring over at her, but this time, not just anger, but fear and shock were present. His arm was bloody, just like hers, the red fluids leaking out of the wound that she had given him. They locked eyes onto one another, neither saying a word to the other.

Penny could feel her body trembling horribly, unable to stop. She could feel waves of shock and fear rushing through her body, her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing remaining quick and emotion-filled. She could feel a cold chill crawling up her spine as she stared at the shaking boy before her, feeling the reality of what happened weigh down on her.

_Did..Did they really just do that_...? Did she and Rudy and just..fight like _wild animals_..? Her eyes widened further, disbelief spreading through her head. She tried to speak, but the stunned state she was stuck in prevented her from articulating even a single word.

She could hardly even remember what happened. She remembered feeling insulted by what Rudy said, but..what did he say..? In that moment, she couldn't remember that. She just remembered seeing red, and..

She took in a sharp breath of horror. She had hurt Rudy. He had hurt her. They attacked each other. The full realization of this washed through her shaking body. All signs of anger were gone now, replaced with only chilling terror. A part of her wished this was all some kind of horrible dream, but the reality was right before her. She took a small step backwards, biting her lip, letting out a soft, low whine as she felt reality punching her in the face.

The circulation of emotion made her legs feel weak. Penny was not able to stand up any more and she dropped down onto her knees. The pain that stung from various wounds seeped into her mind, as well as the guilt of realizing that Rudy suffered similar injuries as well. She put a hand on her face, shutting her eyes.

_Oh gawd_...what had she done...? How could she have lost control like that? How could she let herself get into that state?

She could feel tears forming in her eyes. She did not bother fighting them back. She could feel the sting of the salty fluid move down her eyes. She felt her lower lip quivering, a few short squeaks escaping her throat. The emotion too great for her to contain, Penny shut her eyes and, with tears spilling out, she broke down.

sss

Did that just happen? Did that _really_ just happen? Did he really do _that_?

Rudy's mind was flooded with multiple questions. Left and right, they came, most of them the same statement over and over again. His mind was crowded with the thoughts, making him unaware of his surroundings, save for the sight of Penny, blood leaking down her arm.

This, combined with his own painful injury, was enough to shock Rudy out of his feral state of mind. For the first time in what felt like an hour, he could feel some actual, rational thoughts seep into him. His reasoning returned, and when he came to grips with the reality of what happened, he was frozen in shere horror.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from Penny. He couldn't blink, couldn't do anything except stare at her. She was in _pain_..just like he was. And it wasn't the fault of some villain; no, they did this to each other. This realization made him breathe in and out quickly, shaking his head in denial. _No_..this couldn't be true. This couldn't have happened. They..they were better than this, right? They wouldn't have...

But it was true. The longer he stared at Penny, the longer he looked at himself, the more he knew this to be the case. The pain that racked through his body reminded him of the reality of the situation. He could feel blood in his mouth. Penny's flesh was in it, and he spat it out, horrific guilt racking through his body. He couldn't stop shivering, couldn't stop his racing mind, as he struggled to come to terms with what had occurred.

What had led up to this? _Why did they attack each other_? Was it his fault? Hers? No one's? At the moment, he didn't care. All he was aware of was that he had hurt Penny, the person he had considered his best friend. His eyes bulged and he clenched his teeth. Tears formed in his eyes as he listened to her cry.

_What had he done_...? What had they done...? Why did they let themselves get in this state? How could they have allowed such a thing to happen...?

Rudy remained standing, though his legs were having a harder and harder time supporting him as the seconds passed. He shifted his eyes from side to side. Tears continued to spill out of his eyes, and he gripped his face, digging his nails into his skin. _Oh gawd no... He hurt Penny... No_...

Unable to stop himself, he could feel cries of his own escaping his throat. He trembled as he let out loud whimpers and whines, not doing anything to stop the tears from flowing down his face. The room was soon filled with the shaky sobs of the two children, the weight and reality of what happened pressing down on their shoulders, their bodies trembling hard.

"_What the hell happened here_?!"

The two children turned their heads to see Aunt Tilly and Mrs. Sanchez standing there. The two adults had just arrived onto the scene. Both of them wore expressions of horror and anger on their faces.

Rudy and Penny did not say a word. What could they say? How could they explain the situation to their folks in their state of mind? Their brains were frozen, unable to truly process what was going on, unable to even make a move except cry. They turned their heads away, lowering them and continued to cry.

They did not listen to what the adults said as they rushed forward. They could detect their foot falls, their heavy breathing. But their words flew over their heads. Perhaps they were asking them if they were all right. Maybe they were asking why they fought. But they didn't hear any of it. Just a mumbled mess of words that didn't make sense to them. Their minds pounded with the silence and emotion of the room, drowning out everything else.

Rudy became aware of his aunt grabbing his arm. He was yanked forward, and he was forced to walk with her. A steady, quick pace. He thought he could hear someone saying something behind him, but he wasn't sure.

Then they got outside. Were they going out to the car? It seemed like it. His vision was blurred and he had to keep his eyes shut, the tears making the sunlight too bright for them. His aunt yanked him a little harder, yelling something not out of anger, but horror and desperation, and it was then he became aware of Penny's mom's voice. Then his feet no longer touched soft grass and was back on something solid.

Then he heard coherent words in the midst of his confusion.

"_Hurry_! Get them into the back! We need to get them treated before their wounds get _infected_!"

Rudy felt his aunt pull him even faster, as if there was renewed horror in her. He opened up his eyes and soon became aware of being in another part of Mrs. Sanchez's house, where she had various medical supplies for the animals she has to take care of.

Turning his head, he could see Penny behind him, her mother grabbing her arm. Mrs. Sanchez was directing Aunt Tilly to the right room. While she did that, Penny looked at him, their eyes locking onto each other. Various thoughts and emotions were shared through that single glance. Then they were forced to look away when they were swiftly pulled into the room, the door shutting loudly behind them.

Before Rudy knew it, Penny was propped up onto a large, flat table. He watched as Mrs. Sanchez put on a pair of gloves. She looked over at Rudy and then at Penny, her eyes carrying a look of concern and a bit of disappointment.

Rudy watched as Mrs. Sanchez went over to one of the cabinets nearby. She grabbed an armfull of different supplies, such as cloths and disinfectants. She rushed back over to where her daughter was. As she prepared for treatment, she turned to Penny.

"Please, hold still, Penny. This is going to hurt, but you need to stay still, otherwise, it's just going to get _worse_."

"Y-Yes, mama..." Penny squeaked out in a weak voice.

Rudy felt his heart freeze as he listened to Penny's whimpers of pain. The treatment had just begun.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor glared at the woman before him with contempt. His nose was slightly wrinkled as a snarl spread across his face. He did his best to remain calm, to not let his anger be shot out of him like some kind of leaky faucet.

But that task.._how_ could he pull it off? How could he stop this surge of emotion inside of him? Standing in front of him was the woman who was the very reason he had this pounding headache. The one who had interrupted his experiment. The one who had crossed him. The one who had betrayed him.

_How dare she_... Did she not know who she was dealing with? Did she have no idea just what kind of trouble she was in? Did she forget that they were _supposed_ to be a _team_?

"I can't believe just how..._recklezz_ you were being." Dr. Von Doktor said, his voice barely controlled, his teeth clenched. "You should have known better zan to interrupt an experiment. Do you have any idea what you could have done?"

Terry snarled, "And what about _you_?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Von, folding his arms against his chest. "I didn't do anyzing wrong. Are you going to be one of zoze people who shiftz blame onto otherz?" He shook his head in disappointment. "I zought you would have been _better_ zan zat, Terry."

"Oh shut up! You were the one who nearly killed our bargaining chip!" Terry hissed at him. She pointed at where Blocky still lay unconscious. "He was _burning up_! Had he been in there for much longer, he would have been dead! What use is a _dead_ zoner?"

"Well, I could have just dizzected him, and then find a replazement." Von said. "The puppet would be perfect, since he already comez here." He paused and tilted his head. He scratched his chin as a thought crossed his mind. "Zpeaking of which, where _iz_ zat little bugger? He was supposed to be here..."

Terry took a step forward. "Don't you try to change the subject!" Von looked over at her, doing his best to hold back as the woman continued to scold him. "You're not getting another bargaining chip until you learn restraint!" She pointed a finger at the man. "Because at this rate, we will constantly have to get more and more zoners, and then we will eventually get caught! The zoners would catch on!"

"Maybe..." Von said. He had to admit, trying to get another zoner didn't exactly sound very fun. Still, he shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal. "But I'm sure it would have been nozing we couldn't handle."

Terry pulled her lips back into a snarl. She formed a fist with one of her hands. "You need to learn restraint, doctor. These experimentations of yours are _too risky_. It's time that you stop!"

Von raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me zat I can't do anymore experimentz...?"

"Yes." Terry nodded her head. "I think you gathered up _enough_ information."

Von smirked, anger glowing noticeably along his mouth and eyes. Terry gritted her teeth and took a step back, as if she knew what he was thinking. He looked away and stared down at his hand. He flexed them and said, "What a shame.." He curled his fingers inward, giving Terry a sideways glance. "I waz zertain we could have made zome...fazcinating dizcoveriez about these zonerz."

"You can wait until we opened up the gateway into that world." Said Terry. "After we are done getting our comeback on those children and those who wronged us. Let us take care of those first before you go _butchering_ these zoners."

"Why, Terry..." Von chuckeld coldly. He turned to look back at her, using both eyes to see her. "I didn't know you _cared_ about _zem_."

Terry took a step back. "I _don't_! It's just that..." She looked over at Blocky for a few seconds. The zoner still hadn't woken up from the heat experiment. She turned back to Von. "From now on, just leave him alone, okay? He's had quite enough of your foolery. Give him time to heal, and in the meantime, you can check out the blood sample you took from him. _That_ should keep you busy, right?"

Von's smile faded slowly. "Are you ordering me around, _Mz. Bouffant_...?"

Terry narrowed her eyes. "Since you don't seem to comprehend how your actions could have backfired on both of us..._yes_." Von growled at this. "You are clearly not competent enough to handle this. I cannot trust you with Blocky anymore. So from now on, he is off limits to you." She took a few steps forward, her eyes remaining locked onto his. "You may not touch him again until _I_ say so."

Dr. Von Doktor scowled at this. Who did this woman think she was, depriving him of his rights like that? He was the one who captured Blocky. The little zoner belonged to him, not Terry. He decided what was best to do with him, not her. He knew what he was doing. He knew how far to go, and how to ensure the zoner's survival. Terry wouldn't know a _damn thing_ about that. _She_ wasn't the one studying his anatomy.

Yes, the measurements seemed high. He could see it for himself. But Blocky could handle more than that. He could handle more than what Terry thought. He had studied his body enough to be confident with this. Terry, on the other hand, would be the one most likely to have Blocky die faster. She was the one who didn't know what she was talking about. She was the one who would slip up because she cannot properly read equipment.

Slowly, he realized that the mission just might be in jeopardy now. If this woman did not allow him to continue, he was not going to be able to gather more information on zoners. And that meant he would have less of an idea of weaknesses and strengths of them to utilize. He needed to study Blocky further, but if this woman was going to be in his way...

But on one hand, he realized she did have something of a point. Blocky would not be as useful to him dead. And perhaps he did leave him in that room for too long... No, he did _not_. Terry was just overreacting to that. She had barely glanced at the life readings and drawn her own conclusions. He would know his own equipment better than her.

He thought briefly about taking control of the situation. He had plenty of stuff he could use here to threaten her into submission. He could easily find a way to make sure that she didn't try to interfere again, so she could not end up causing him problems or jeopardize the mission again.

But..._no_.. That wouldn't do. He wasn't stupid. Terry might find a way around his threat, or use it as a reason to have him reported. No, he was better off simply playing along.._for now_.

Although still angry, the man managed to smile. Keeping his anger in check, straightening himself up and trying to look as non-threatening as possible, she said, "All right zen..." He folded his arms behind his back. "I'll leave the runt alone...for now." Terry narrowed her eyes. Before she could say anything, he added, "How about we focuz on zending a mezzage to zose children? Zey ztill need to know of ziz, right?" He smirked. "After all, they would be a bigger hinderance to uz zan we are to each other, am I right...?"

Terry narrowed her eyes, and nodded her head. "That is correct. Those two, especially Rudy, would be problematic." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I can't believe we neglected to take care of them earlier..."

"Oh don't worry about it." Von said. He held up his hand in gesture. "Zere is plenty of time to correct ziz..._overzight_..."

Terry nodded in agreement. Then, setting aside their earlier hostilities, the two adults left the room, leaving Blocky alone.

sss

This place... This _horrible and dreadful place_... The foreboding atmosphere all around him, the thick tension that was building up the longer he was in here... The cold chill that permeated the air...

No wonder most zoners left this place alone. They must all think he was _crazy_ for coming here.

Yet, he knew he had no choice. If this was where that portal was... Yeah, he kind of had to come here. He needed to be here and look around and find that portal. If this was the entrance into the Real World, he had to know. They all had to know, and prepare for what's to come, and how to prevent it.

He still wasn't entirely sure how they were going to do it. There were still some kinks to work out, and they might never be able to do that. But at least they'd be more fully prepared and ready for a fight. Best they know that something was coming than to be caught by surprise.

He knew that knowing the location of the portal was just part one of the struggle. It had to be marked, and others informed. Then...well at the moment, he wasn't entirely sure. He just knew there was going to be a lot of work ahead. None of them knew if Terry or Von had any idea that they now knew of the portal. They didn't know if they were plotting some kind of trap for when they tried to get into the Real World from there. They just didn't know what they would do.

But that wouldn't stop him, or make him give up. This had to be done, for the sake of ChalkZone.

"Okay, it should be coming up." A voice called out to him. "As soon as we part through this.._vine things_...or whatever they are, we'll be there, okay, Snap?"

The blue and white zoner looked over at Howdy. The smaller zoner was out in front of him, walking a couple feet away. He didn't have his head turned to look at him, but he did have his hand raised up, making a couple waves of the hand to indicate he was speaking with him.

Snap nodded his head to confirm. It took him a few moments to remind himself that Howdy wasn't looking at him. He cleared his throat and said, "Yeah, I got it."

The two of them had been walking through the Pencil Sharpener for a while. Even right from the very entrance, Snap sensed a strong feeling of dread when coming in here. He didn't notice much of a reaction from Howdy. But then..the zoner probably got used to coming here, or maybe he was hiding his fear just for his sake.

Walking through here wasn't an easy task. There were plenty of sharp areas, plants and rocks alike, as well as other dangers and threats to avoid. They climbed up and down the slopes, made turns to go around the spikey trees, and tried to ignore the hissing sound during their walks. The silence was so thick, it was practically loud and deafening. Snap found himself, once in a while, putting his hands against his ears to keep the nonexistent sound out.

He didn't know how long they had been walking before Howdy had spoken up. Had it been just several minutes? Had it been hours? He didn't know. It felt as though time itself had disappeared, replaced only with this uncertain reality before him, uncomfortable sights and sounds all around the small zoners.

They had headed towards one of the mountains. Snap was reluctant to go on it, the mountain's own appearance being enough to deter him. Twisting clouds, a dark coloration, little light, and a low, humming sound that seemed to engulf the mountain... What kind of creator would make something like _this_?

The only thing that made him go was the reminder of what would happen if he didn't come through here. He knew that, so long as that portal existed, Von and Terry were a major threat. They could get into ChalkZone, and they could use it as proof of the world's existence. This big, scary mountain was going to be the last thing he had to worry about if he didn't climb up this mountain with Howdy and help mark the location and create a map up here. Once Rudy was able to draw a teleporter here, they would be able to come back without having to travel all the way through here, and they could put whatever plan they decide upon into motion.

When Howdy had spoken up, they were heading down a winding, rock path. They had gone up the mountain a ways. Not all the way; about half way up. There was a path that led off the edges, and down a sort of bulge. It was pretty steep and walking on it was dangerous. Snap had to be careful as he headed down the precariously thin ledge, pressing his hands against the walls for leverage.

They soon reached the bottom, where the path curved up and then straightened out. There was a cave entrance of some kind, but it was covered by something green. They looked like tendrils, with spikey ridges, _no surprise_. And was that a horrible smell coming off of them? Snap put a hand over his nose to try to avoid breathing in the offensive odor.

"I take it these are the vines you told me about?" Snap asked.

Howdy nodded his head. "Yeah. Don't worry. This is the only place you will have to worry about them."

"Good." Snap muttered. "Because I can't _stand_ it."

The two headed through the vines. Snap winced as he felt the vine's spikes scrape against his skin. One of the vines got stuck around him, and he ended up trapped back at the entrance for a few moments. He struggled to get himself free, but only ended up tightening the vine around him even more, pressing the thorns more and more against him.

Howdy, realizing that Snap was lagging behind, went back to help him. He held out his hand, palm up, and, to Snap's surprise, began to tickle the vines. They started to give off a really weird sound. Almost like laughter except.._not_... The sound of it was enough to send chills through Snap.

After a few seconds, the vines released him. They recoiled back, bending themselves into an S shape, almost like a snake ready to strike. Snap took a few steps back, watching the vines shake and quiver, that sound continuing to crawl through his skin. Soon it died down completely and the vines became limp at the entrance once more, allowing the heavy silence to return to the cave.

"_What...what just_..." Snap found it difficult to comprehend what had just occurred.

"Yeah, I know. I was rather shocked myself when I found that out." Howdy pointed out. "Now let's get going." He made a motion with his arm. "The portal isn't far."

Snap wanted to say something, but he found himself remaining quiet. He let out a soft sigh and he walked towards Howdy, following him down the slightly curving path, further into the cave.

They barely made a turn when Howdy suddenly stopped. Snap, his eyes wide in shock, nearly collided with his friend. He managed to stop before he hit him and took a step back. He glared softly down at Howdy. He was about to ask the zoner why he stopped like that, but paused when he lifted up his head a little, his gaze catching a glimpse of something familiar.

_It was the portal_. Right there, in the middle of the air. A little difficult to see, but there nonetheless. Howdy stood in front of it, and then looked over at Snap, a solemn expression on his face.

Snap held his breath as he stared at the portal. Here it was, the one thing that could spell _unimaginable_ disaster for all of ChalkZone. The one thing that zoners all around feared. The thing that he, Rudy, and Penny vowed to destroy to ensure that Terry or Von, or even Vinnie if he got involved, could never prove to the Real World that ChalkZone existed.

"So.._that's_ the portal...?" Snap said softly. He wasn't really expecting an answer. He just didn't know what else to say at the moment.

Howdy nodded his head slowly. "Yeah. Terry showed me where it was so I could come back here with the food, water, and medicine for Blocky." He flinched visibly at that. "Poor Blocky..."

Snap looked down at the puppet zoner sadly. He placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Howdy. None of this was your fault."

Howdy looked up at him. "I know...but I still feel so horrible. I wish I had done..._something_. I had helped them prolong Blocky's suffering..." He shut his eyes and lowered his head. "What a _sucky way_ for his birthday to lead up to..."

Snap felt his heart clench at that. Howdy had reminded him that, only a few days ago, Blocky had his birthday party. And now, not so long after, he was placed in the exact opposite situation. No more was he having fun and playing games. Now he was just trying to _survive_, pain inflicted on him for no _gawd damn_ reason. Snap clutched his hand into a fist, nearly striking it against the nearby wall.

No, he had to restrain himself. He had to keep himself calm. They will get Blocky out of there. He told himself that time and again. Blocky will be taken out of there, and he will be safe. They just need some more time. Just a little more time...

Snap knew that the next step now was to mark the location of a portal. He looked left and right, trying to find something useful. "What can we use to mark this portal?"

Howdy shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I'm sure there's plenty of rocks here. It is a cave, after all."

Snap frowned softly. "That won't do... I just realized that. Simply marking here won't be enough to help Rudy and Penny find this place in case you or I aren't able to help." He folded his arms against his chest. "We need something that will _stand out_. Something that those two can detect with a radar thing. Something that Dr. Von Doktor nor Terry Bouffant will be able to figure out so easily."

Howdy tilted his head. "What are you thinking?"

Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There has to be something we can use..." He let out a sigh, tilting his head back. He looked up towards the ceiling. "..but what?"

Howdy merely shrugged his shoulders. It was clear he didn't have any ideas. That was okay. Snap wasn't expecting him to have any. This really was quite a stumped situation. If they didn't figure out a proper way to mark this...

He turned his head towards the portal. He could see the contents of the other side. Some kind of room. Dark, no lights on, and some shadows indicating some kind of shelf. He stared at it long and hard, his mind sifting through thoughts.

It was a risk. He knew how dangerous it could be. But perhaps...it was possible that room had something that they could use. Maybe something with metal in it. Would that work? His friends could draw a metal detector and be guided over here, where Rudy and Penny could create a hidden teleporter so they could navigate straight there.

True, he and Howdy could just bring them over. But he was aware that something could go wrong. At least this way, they will be able to have a backup plan in motion, making it harder for Terry or Von to stop them, if it came to that.

Snap continued to stare at the portal. He thought he heard Howdy calling out to him in confusion, but he ignored him. He soon began to head towards the portal. When he reached it, he peered inside, looking from side to side. There didn't seem to be anyone there. _Perfect_.

"_What are you doing_?!" Howdy cried as Snap began to crawl through. "_What if you're caught_?!"

Snap looked over at him. He gave his trademark smile. "I'll be fine, Howdy. I'm just going to go in real quick and see if there's anything I can use. I won't be gone long."

Howdy flinched at this, looking from left to ride. He then gulped and moved forward. "Let me come in with you! I know that building better than you!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Snap flinched at this, watching as Howdy lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Howdy. I didn't mean it like that..."

"It's fine." Howdy said softly as he came forward.

The two zoners crawled through the portal. Snap came first, and then Howdy. They walked a bit away from the portal, further into the room itself. Snap took a moment to look around the room. He then looked back, taking note of what was clearly Rudy's chalkboard, the one that Tilly had sold. Snap could feel his blood heating up, angered that the woman did such a _stupid_ thing. He pushed it aside. That wasn't important right now.

"Remember, stay in this room." Howdy said, breaking the short-lived silence. His voice was low and soft. "We musn't let them know we're here."

Snap smiled at his friend. "Oh don't worry. I'm sure that neither of those creepazoids will... _Howdy_...?"

To Snap's confusion, Howdy took on a fear-filled expression. His body shook and he took a few steps back. It was then that Snap was aware of a shadow forming over him. He felt his blood run cold as he heard a familiar, feminine chuckle behind him.

"A _creepazoid_, am I...?"

Snap hunched his body, tensing up. _Oh no... Please... Not her_. Anyone but _her_... Slowly, he turned himself around, turning his head to meet the gaze of...

..._Terry Bouffant_.

Snap let out a surprised cry, whirling himself around to face the red-haired woman. She smirked down at him, her arms folded against her chest. Howdy moved behind Snap, the blue zoner holding out his arm in a protective manner. He tried his best to hide his fear, narrowing his eyes in determination.

Terry smiled down at the two zoners, her arms folded against her chest. "Well well..isn't this my _lucky day_? I was just coming over to see you..." Her eyes locked onto Howdy. The zoner gulped and hid further behind Snap. Terry merely grinned at this. "But it seems you brought along a friend..." She stared over at Snap. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Hello there, _blue boy_. Long time, no see, _eh_?"

Snap kept himself in front of Howdy, keeping a fighting stance. He managed to give the woman a dark smirk. "I see your hair has grown back. And it looks _shinier_ than ever! I guess wiggies are quite the _miracle workers_, aren't they?" Terry narrowed her eyes at this. "I have a pet wiggie I can bring over. Maybe we can make your hair look even _better_!" He spread his hands up and outward, away from each other, to emphasize his point.

Terry growled at this. She formed fists and flattened her limbs against her sides. "Why you little _brat_! I should..." Suddenly she stopped herself. She gave a soft chuckle, rubbing her chin. "On second thought... I do need to send a message to _chalk boy_." She began to advance on Snap. The zoner hunched himself, baring his teeth at her. "And _you're_ just the zoner to do that..."

sss

"_I can't believe you two_! How could you do something so stupid?" Tilly said, glaring down at the two children. Anger hung heavily on her voice.

Mrs. Sanchez was no better. "Of all the reckless, irresponsible things you two have done..." She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples. "I just...don't understand how you two could have done something like this. You always got along so well. _What happened_...?"

Tilly stared at the children, as did Mrs. Sanchez, and waited for an answer. The two children remaiend silent, their heads low. A look of shame present on both their faces indicated they did regret what they have done. But that did not lessen the anger that she felt, nor did it make right what they have done. They both should have known better than that.

Now, because of their reckless attitude, they both had to be treated. Most of the injuries were minor, but some, particularly the areas with torn flesh, required more treatment. Mrs. Sanchez did what she could to treat those wounds, wrapping them up in bandages to protect them from infection. But both Rudy and Penny were going to need to head to their family doctors to get some antibiotics so they don't get some kind of blood transmitted disease.

She and Mrs. Sanchez couldn't understand what would have caused their children to _attack_ each other like _that_. She could still remember the horror she felt when she and the other woman came into the living room and found Rudy and Penny fighting each other rather aggressively. By the time they got over, the children had already _racked off_ a piece of flesh from one another. She shuddered, still remembering the screams from that.

She felt some level of relief that the two children were treated to some degree, preventing further damage. But she couldn't shake off the shock of what had happened. She exchanged a quick, worried glance to Mrs. Sanchez. What were they going to do with their children?

Still the two were silent. They didn't utter a single word. Tilly narrowed her eyes as she stared down at the two. She took a small step forward, staring at them as they sat down on the table next to each other, their legs dangling over the side, slightly swinging them.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourselves...?" Tilly pressed the top of her hands against her hips. "Why did you two try to beat each other up? What was the matter with you two?"

Yet they still remained quiet. They looked up at them, locking eyes with them. Then they flinched and lowered their heads. It was clear the two children weren't sure what to say. Was it because they didn't know how to explain it, or did they just feel utter shame over the reason why they fought?

Tilly couldn't let this go, however. She needed to know what got into these two. She needed to understand why these two would fight each other, despite being friends. This was _no_ minor thing. They could have really _hurt_ each other. If she and Mrs. Sanchez knew what happened, they could do what they could and make it better. Rudy and Penny were doing themselves no favors by staying quiet.

But since the two were refusing to talk, she knew that she and Mrs. Sanchez would have to figure something else out. If the two won't talk, then there was really only one other thing they could do. They cannot allow this to happen again. They could not afford a repeat of this incident. It wasn't something that she wanted to do, and she had hoped that it would all have been cleared out by now. But if these two were going to fight each other like animals, then they left them with no other alternative.

Hearing Mrs. Sanchez clear her throat to begin to speak, it would seem that she was also thinking the same thing.

"Although I am glad you two are all right, I cannot ignore the fact that you two should have had better heads on yourselves than this. You outta be ashamed of yourselves, fighting each other like that. Because of that, either of you could get an infection and get sick!"

Rudy and Penny silently bowed their heads further. It was clear that their current mental state did not allow them to speak. Perhaps they were still shocked from their fight. _Good_..that showed that they were learning their lesson.

"Tilly and I cannot simply allow you two to walk away from this. You two need to be taught a lesson. So for five days, you two will be _grounded_." Mrs. Sanchez said.

"_But_..." Rudy and Penny started to speak. Ah, so now they got their voices back.

"No buts!" Tilly interjected, raising up her hand. "You two should have thought your actions through more. You two allowed yourselves to be consumed by pitiful anger, and you must pay the price for that. Do you understand?"

Rudy and Penny opened their mouths as if to project. They soon shut them and lowered their heads. "Yes..."

"_Good_..." Tilly walked over towards Rudy. "Come on, Rudy. Let's go home. We will discuss your punishment further."

"But what about...?"

"Penny and her mom have some talking to do as well." Tilly looked over at Mrs. Sanchez. They exhanged solemn nods before the vet turned to glare at her daughter. Tilly turned her attention back to Rudy. "Now let's get going."

Tilly and Rudy walked towards the door. They stopped in the doorway. Rudy looked over at Penny. The two children looked at each other with an unreadable expression. Then, they disappeared out of the doorway, leaving the Sanchezes alone.


	24. Aftermaths

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 24: Aftermaths

_**When things go dark, look for another light.**_

sss

Ever since they got home a few minutes ago, he had been silent. His mind was numb, and yet still filled with thoughts. He wanted to speak, and yet he did not. He wanted to believe that he wasn't at fault, and yet he could not stop blaming himself for what happened.

_How could he have done that_?

_How could he have lost control_?

_He was better than that...right_..?

These questions and more plagued the little boy's mind. They were relentless, unwilling to allow him to shift his thoughts to anything else. They would not leave him alone, constantly forcing himself to be reminded of what had happened. He had gone too far this time. They both had. It was something that he was going to have to accept, and yet the very act of that...it was _terrifying_.

Rudy could feel his heart clenching, a sharp, bitter feeling spreading across his heart and lungs. It kept him in its tight grip, not allowing him to do anything accept think about what he had done.

The look on his aunt's face did nothing to cheer him up. She was absolutely infuriated with him. He didn't have to lift up his head to know that she was staring at him with that harsh glare. He could practically feel her eyes boring into his own. If she were able to shoot firebeams out of those visual orbs, he would be _toast_ right about now.

And she had every reason to be angry with him. He should have known better. He should have been more responsible and held back. He should have realized that he was getting worked up and left the room. Because he didn't, he had allowed anger to overtake him, and he attacked Penny. He flinched at the memory, still hearing their battle cries in his head, still feeling the sensation of getting beat up, of beating her up. Horrible guilt clung to his chest, refusing to let go.

He kept his lead low, unwilling to look at his aunt in the eyes. He knew that his punishment was coming. He had been grounded, but he had a feeling there was going to be more. He dreaded to know what it was, but he would not run.

He put himself into this situation. He was going to have to accept the consequences for what he had done.

"Rudy, I _want_ to know what happened." Aunt Tilly said. He could hear her take a step forward. "You and Penny were silent over there, and I understand if you were stunned. But you need to tell me what happened."

Rudy bit his lip, pressing his teeth against the skin. _Talk about it_...? Was now _really_ a good time? His mind was still reeling from the events. He was still shaken up by his own outburst. He didn't think he would be able to get a word in edgewise, no matter how hard he tried. "I...I don't want to talk about it..."

Rudy felt a weight shifting beside him. He could sense warmth next to him, lightly pressing against his body. He could feel an arm slink over him, a hand pressing against his shoulder. Still, he did not lift his head to look over. He did not want to stair into the deep space that was his aunt's enraged eyes.

"I know, Rudy. I can see why it would be very hard to talk about. But I am not going to let this go, and neither is Mrs. Sanchez. If you don't tell me, then I won't be able to understand, and I won't be able to help."

Rudy looked up at his aunt. He remaiend silent, unabled to think of what to that. He understood that she just wanted to help, but..how could she? What could she _possibly_ say to make this better?

The only thing that would right now was if he went back in time and stopped himself from doing such a stupid thing. This wasn't the first time he fought with Penny, but those other times...they had kept control. They didn't attack each other. They didn't throw punches or bite or pulled each other's hair... Their past debates were downright civil and professional compared to what happened here.

And to think that, during the time when he most needed control, he _lost it_... Rudy had always prided himself in being in control and reasonable, but now that was torn down, crushed into pieces. Would he be able to trust himself again after this?

"Rudy...please..recount to me what happened. I know it's scary to talk about it, but you have to get this off your chest." Aunt Tilly said. She gently squeezed his shoulder. "The longer you keep quiet about this, the harder it will be to talk about. Keeping it inside of you will only _tear_ you apart _more_." She placed her hadn on his cheek, gently caressing it. "I promise, I won't judge you if you tell me what happened. All I want to know is what transpired between you two. It's not like your or Penny to hurt one another. Something must have happened. _Please_...tell me.."

The boy took in a shaky breath. "I-I just feel so..._so bad_ about it..." A few tears formed in his eyes. That emotion he felt before was returning, and the tears began to flow once more. "I can't believe that I..." He looked at his hands, his mind whirling with thoughts, trying to comprehend what had just happened. "I..I don't know if I..."

"I understand. You can take your time. But please..tell me. You can tell me anything. You've got to believe that. Just take in a deep breath, exhale slowly, and speak. Let the words flow forth. Tell me what happened...so I may fully understand how you feel..."

Rudy wanted to tell her to leave him alone. He could feel the emotion swelling up inside, and right now, all he wanted to do was snap at her and run away. He didn't want to deal with this right now. He just wanted to go into his room and cry into his pillow. He wanted to release all the emotion that was surging through his body, to stand at his window and scream at the world.

He knew, however, that would not be a wise thing to do. He couldn't just push his aunt away. She just wanted to help him. She was right; keeping this all bottled up was bad. But he couldn't just release it like some wild animal; he needed to keep himself coherent, prevent those dark thoughts from returning. He needed to talk about this, so he could finally come to terms with these emotions and prevent thing from controlling his life.

With that resolve in his head, he took in a deep breath and let out a soft sigh. He tried to organize his thoughts the best he could. He turned to Aunt Tilly and gave a soft nod, indicating he was ready to speak.

Aunt Tilly gave a soft, reassuring smile. "I know you can do this, Rudy. Just breathe in, breathe out, and speak."

Rudy hesitated for a moment. He tried to think of what to say. He searched his memory bank, trying to get an idea of what transpired. It was all so surreal, it felt like it was some kind of bad dream. He had to pick up as much of the details as he could to paint an accurate picture of what happened.

Once he figured he was ready, he cleared his throat and began to relay to his aunt what happened.

sss

Snap growled as he took a step back. He kept himself in front of Howdy, not wanting Terry to take a chance and get at him. So far, she hasn't tried any such thing, but he was not going to let his guard down.

"You're _crazy_!" Snap cried. "What makes you think I'm going to do _that_?!"

Terry gave him an eerie smile. "I don't see why you would protest so much, blue boy. I'm not asking you do anything drastic. I just want you to...deliver a message." With her hand raised up, she curled her fingers inward and stared at them. A smile, combined with a contemplative look, was on her face. "I don't think that should be so hard.. A simple message deliverance is _all_ I ask of you, Snap. I don't know why you must resist so much..." She looked back, giving him a partial glance. Her smile spread further. "Are you really this stupid?"

Snap hissed at this statement. It took all of his self control not to charge towards her. Of course she would think this way. Of course she would not understand where he was coming from. Of course she wouldn't even try to listen to him. He didn't even bother trying to explain it to her. It wasn't like she was going to take anything he said into account.

Terry folded her hands behind her back. She paced back and forth in front of him and Howdy. He could feel his friend shivering harder, prompting him to show more protectiveness of him. "I think we're being very...reasonable here. All Dr. Von Doktor and I want is to make sure your dear..friends...know what's on the up and up. We mustn't let them remain in the dark...now _can we_...?"

"_You only want me to tell them so you could have more control over them! You want to rule them by fear so you can keep tormenting zoners_!"

Terry stared down at Snap. Her eyes were wide in shock. Though whether or not it was genuine, it was difficult to say. "My my, blue boy.. I don't know where you got _that_ idea from..." Her smile returned as she folded her arms against her chest. "You must be really paranoid if you think that. We just want to..._enlighten_ your friends and perhaps..." She held her hand out in gesture. ".._negotiate_..?"

Snap gnashed his teeth together. "_Like hell_ we'll negotiate with someone like _you_!"

Terry shook her head. She stared at Snap with mock disappointment. "I would have thought you would listen to reason, Snap." She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes. "I suppose I was wrong about that. You are so high strung in your pride, and so spiteful of me, that you would neglect anything I suggest simply out of _spite_. For _shame_, Snap..."

Snap snarled at this. He wasn't going to allow this woman to manipulate him like this. He wasn't going to let her gain the upper hand in this situation. He knew that she was just trying to make him feel guilty to so that he would cave in more easily, relent to her wishes. No, he wasn't going to do that. He would not let her have _any_ sense of victory.

Snap was going to tell Rudy and Penny when he got the chance. He would inform them of the portal's location. But he was going to do it his way. With the phrase Terry wanted him to relay, they would be more fearful, more hesitant, for the woman had delivered an affective threat.

She had pretty much threatened to erase all of ChalkZone if Rudy and Penny did not cooperate. _It wasn't just Blocky who was in danger now_...

The woman was really taking a chance here. Why, he wasn't sure. But he knew such a statement was just an act of desperation. This woman wanted to expose ChalkZone and _destroying it_..well what would she have left to expose after that? She was so determined to get what she wanted, she didn't care what she said; just so long as she got results. They didn't call her 'down and dirty' for nothing. She was truly living up to that segment she used to be a part of.

He was not going to subject Rudy and Penny to that kind of desperate fear. That's just what these two creepazoids wanted. And it was something he was not going to give to them.

"Such a stubborn little zoner..." Terry said softly, breaking Snap out of his thoughts. "I still can't believe that you refuse to comply. I suppose you really don't care about your little friends after all..." Snap hissed at this. "Perhaps I should end their misery now. All I would need to do is..."

"Don't you fucking dare try to tell me that I don't care! Why do you think I refuse to serve you?!" Snap cried. Terry simply stared at him in silence, waiting for him to continue. "I don't wish to see harm brought on to them, and that's just what's going to happen if I listen to you! You only want me to relay that message to Rudy and Penny so you have a means to control them, put a leash on them and drag them to wherever you want them to go! You want to tear down the only protection ChalkZone has against cretins like yourself! I refuse to help you!"

Terry stared at him for a few moments. "So..your answer is no..and that's your _final_ answer?"

Snap nodded his head quickly, curtly. "_Yes_. So you can just _forget it_!"

Terry scratched her head. "Really then..." She narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that such a.._shame_..."

Snap and Howdy took a step back as they watched the woman's expression shift. It was unreadable, but it still filled them with a sense of dread. Snap looked down at Howdy. The poor guy looked like he wanted to turn and run away. It made him wonder just what he had been put through here. What had these two horrible monsters forced upon him?

He kept glaring at Terry, refusing to look away. Although her current expression made him nervous, made him want to turn and flee, he remained where he was. He didn't know what this woman had in mind, but he wasn't going to simply turn and run away. _ChalkZone was in trouble_. He had to do something in order to deter this vile woman from infiltrating it. Yet..he knew such a feat was going to be impossible without backup. Terry was not afraid of him. There was little he could do in the real world, and he was at threat of Real World water, or even a simple eraser. All he could do was stand his ground and hope that whatever Terry dishes out next will be more manageable. Something that he could bend and make work into his favor.

For what felt like forever, they simply stared at one another. He kept himself in front of Howdy, doing what he could to shield the little guy from Terry's sights. Once in a while, the woman looked down at Howdy, giving a contemplative expression. Snap would immediately respond by spreading his arm out further. Terry merely chuckled at this and stared back at him.

He and Terry locked eyes with each other. It felt almost like some kind of game. A staring contest. They looked into each other's eyes, feeling the intensity of the other, feeling just how strong willed each other was. Neither would relent, as if it meant surrendering to the other's will if they did so. This lasted for what felt like several minutes, and Snap did nothing to back down. He simply narrowed his eyes further and bared his teeth.

At last, Terry turned her head away. Snap felt a sense of triumph rush through his body even though he knew that it wasn't over yet, that Terry could easily come up with a new plan. Still, he couldn't help but smile at his mild victory.

"So you refuse to do what I say. You refuse to do the right thing and relay a message to chalk boy..." Terry said softly. Her voice sounded as though it was being controlled, and this made Snap flinch. How much emotion was she holding back? "In that case..I suppose I have _no choice_."

Snap wasn't sure what she was talking about. He wasn't sure what else she had up her sleeve. He formed a small fist with one hand while pointing accusatory with his free one. "Rudy and Penny _will_ find out what you two have been up to! They _will_ find out where this portal is! They _will_ find a way to _beat you_!"

A cold chuckle from Terry froze Snap where he was and made Howdy whimper. It was so _chilling_... Snap couldn't think of what to say to that. It was not the response he thought he was going to get. He narrowed his eyes further, curling his lip up as Terry looked at him with those crazed eyes.

"I _know_ they will. I _want_ them to find out. But _only_ on _our_ terms." Terry took a few steps towards the cornered zoners. She smiled nastily as they felt their backs being pushed against the wall. Snap spread his arms out, glaring at the woman. Terry reached out with her hand. Snap shuddered as he felt her palm against his cheek. "Since you will not listen to us... Well, we can't exactly having you go back into ChalkZone, now can we...?"

Snap jerked his head away, snarling at her. "Do you intend on trying to keep us here?!"

"If it means ensuring our plan's safety.." Terry sneered. "Yes."

Snap growled at this. Without thinking, he attempted to bite her hand. His teeth clanged against nothing as Terry instantly moved her hand away. She looked at the zoner in disbelief before narrowing her eyes, looking almost insulted that he dare try to bite her during a 'friendly negotiation'.

Terry hissed, "I see... Looks like I made the right decision then. If you do not have the sense to be more cooperative.." She fell silent at this for a moment. She and Snap glared at each other, each focused on their own thoughts. She then softened up her expression and leaned forward, her arms clasping behind her back. "Making you a more...permanent resident here would suffice."

Snap held up his fist. "What makes you think you can keep me here?!"

"I can't just have you running back into ChalkZone and tell your little friends. Not unless you relay the exact message I want you to give, and _nothing more_. I know I want them to find out, but only my way. And since you won't do that, you will have to stay here." Terry turned her back to the two zoners and headed towards the nearby shelf. "I know that _Howdy_ there may listen to me, and I would have used him to ensure that you did exactly what you were told to, Snap..."

Snap narrowed his eyes, feeling a pang of sympathy as he heard Howdy whimper at this. He had no doubt in his mind that Terry would have done something awful to Howdy to make sure he listened to her.

"But you...I know how much of a.._firecracker_ you can be. I won't be able to trust you to do what I want. I'll be able to trust Howdy here to deliver some bad news to me then." Terry rummaged through the shelves. Snap could not see what she was going for, but he could hear the clang and clatter of things being moved around. "But if I kept you here, you won't be able to tell anyone, _now will you_..?" Terry peered over her shoulder, her eyes glinting as she stared over at Snap. "You will be under our full.._control_."

"_Like hell I will_!" Snap took a defensive stance. "There is no way you're going to keep me here!"

Terry chuckled. "I beg to differ, _blue boy_..."

"How do you plan on keeping me here?" Snap asked, his teeth bared in a defensive grin. "Chain me to the wall? Did you forget about my '2D powers', as you called them?"

Terry's eyes widened a little at this. Snap smirked in response. While in ChalkZone, he couldn't just flatten himself against a surface, in the Real World, he could. This would make it much harder to catch him, or keep him trapped in a singular location. If Terry was going to keep him somewhere, she was going to have to try a lot harer than that.

His smile faded when he saw Terry turn around slowly. The smile she had before returned, only it was more vicious this time. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that she was carrying something in her hands. Something that sent chills through his spine.

"Oh don't worry..." Terry grinned, raising the item higher into the air. "That's what _this baby_ is for.."

Howdy let out a terrified scream as Snap felt ice shoot through his body. He found it difficult to tear his eyes away from what Terry was holding out in front of her. He felt as light shiver sweep through him, the reality of the situation settling in.

_It..it was an eraser_... Snap found himself trying to take a step back, only to find his back being pressed against the wall. He looked behind him, gritting his teeth as he finally fully realized just how trapped he and Howdy were. He looked back at Terry and glared softly, trying his best to hide the terror that was creeping up in his stomach.

As Terry moved in closer, holding the eraser out in front, Snap's shaking became a little harder, and he could feel his heart rate speeding up, pounding against his chest. He couldn't move his eyes away from the soft edge of the eraser. Sure it looks harmless enough, but he knew what would happen if that thing touched him. He was still made up of chalk in the Real World, and his body would still react in according to this world's laws. And one of them was, _if he got touched by an eraser_...

Snap jerked back when Terry grabbed onto the front of his cape. She yanked him forward, and he was unable to hold back his scream of terror when his face nearly collided with the eraser's deathly abrasive side.

"Now..you have a choice, Snap. Either you stay here and keep Blocky company, or.." Terry held onto him tighter, moving the eraser closer to his right eye. "Or I could wish you the best of luck in trying to find your friends while you are both _blind_ and _in pain_..." She moved the eraser away and put her face close to his. "It's your choice. _What shall it be_?"

Snap simply stared at her in fear.

sss

"And after he said that about you... I just..saw _red_..." Penny winced, feeling a pang in her stomach as she remembered the events, little by little, that led up to the fight. Speaking about it was very difficult, and she was amazed she had gotten this far. "I lost control of myself..and I just.._punched him_..."

"I see..." Her mother nodded her head. "And after that, the fight broke out?"

"Yes. Rudy lunged at me and we just...fought each other. I..I forget what we did... But I remember throwing punches..pulling hair..."

"And _biting_." Her mother pointed out.

Penny said, "Yeah... Biting..." She rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache creeping along her skull as the uncomfortable memories returned. "It was horrible.. We were like wild animals... Everything from that moment is a blur. We couldn't think. We couldn't use our rationality. It was like our logical side was shut off, and all we could think about was attacking each other."

"Anger and rage can be very powerful. They can be useful if utilized properly, but most of the time, they will make us lose control of ourselves. We cannot think and be enraged at the same time. It is not either of your faults that you lost yourself if you truly became that enraged." Her mother said. She then narrowed her eyes slightly. "But..you were _still_ responsible for what led up to it. You two should have known better than that. You two allowed yourselves to get worked up, and instead of one of you leaving to avoid stimulating the other, you two just stayed put and, as a result, you two absorbed more and more of that anger, until you were boiling over like a volcano ready to erupt. And when it erupted..."

Penny flinched and turned her head away. She felt enormous guilt gripping her heart. She knew her mother was right. One of them should have walked away from the fight. She should have done that. She was the smart one. She should have just stifled herself and walk out of the room to avoid further angering herself or Rudy.

Instead, she foolishy stayed, foolishly tried to talk with Rudy, only to have their blood heat up further and further until neither of them could take it anymore. Now in in the aftermath, they were both injured, given to them by each other. She hissed as she felt a sting on her arm. She looked down at her arm, where the bandage covered up the bite that Rudy gave her. The sight of it made her flinch, reminding herself that Rudy also carried a similar injury on his arm. They were going to be lucky if the wounds don't get infected.

"I understand why you got angry, Penny. I will agree, Rudy was out of line with saying those things about me." Penny could detect a tinge of hurtfulness in her mother's voice, intermingling with the anger. "But I'm sure he did not mean it. You two were losing control of yourselves, and he was acting purely on emotion. We often say things we do not really mean in the heat of anger."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah, I know.. I'm sure he just said that out of anger and frustration..." She closed her eyes softly. Even so, the words still eachoed in her head. She wished she didn't remember that part of the fight. "I can't _believe_ I was so _stupid_! I..."

"_Penita_..." Penny felt her mother cup her chin gently. Her head was tilted upwards slightly. The two of them stared into each other's eyes. Her mother had a small smile on her face, her eyes filling with sympathy and reassurance. "Don't keep beating yourself up over this. I'm sure you won't allow it to happen again...am I right?"

Shaking her head, Penny said, "Of course not! I'd never want something like this to happen again!" She shuddered at the mere thought of her and Rudy getting into another nasty fight like this. "I..I don't want to hurt him again."

"I know you don't. I know how much you care for him, and it is always painful to find out when you had hurt someone you love. But the important thing is that you admit that you did wrong and you two try to make amends. Things will never get better if neither of you attempt to fix things." Her mother said. "I hope you understand that."

"I do, mama... I do..." Penny nodded her head slowly. "I'm still scared thought. I mean...what if he doesn't listen to me...? What if..." She stifled herself when she felt her mother grip her shoulder.

"If he's your friend, then he will listen. Just..give him some time." Her mother said. "You two need a bit of time apart to think about what you've done. Trying to apologize too soon can be disastrous. But...when the time comes..."

"Yeah...I know..." Penny said softly.

She knew her mom was right. She knew that she and Rudy would have to apologize sooner or later. She didn't want this bitterness in her stomach to last forever. She didn't want to let their friendship go sour over something like this. She still cared about the boy and he knew he still felt the same way about her. But her mom was right about something else. Right now is _not_ a good time for either of them to attempt an apology; they might accidentally reignite the fire, and then they were back to square one.

But there was something else that was going on as well. _The portal, Blocky, Von and Terry_... These were all rather urgent matters. Penny was well aware that she and Rudy may end up having to work together before they can make amends. She wasn't sure how well that would go. The fight they had was rather nasty. She hoped that their ability to work together hasn't been compromised, and she hoped that they will be able to still work as a team and stop their foes.

They had to do it...for the sake of Blocky and everyone else. She couldn't allow her anger and fear to control her, to prevent her from helping those that needed it the most. The safety of ChalkZone and her friends was much more important right now than how she felt. She knew Rudy must feel the same way. If they must, they can apologize to each other later.

"_However_..."

Penny looked up at her mother. She flinched at her tone of voice. She knew what was coming and she did her best to prepare for it.

Her mother gave Penny a disappointed expression. "Like Rudy's aunt said, we _cannot_ let you two walk away with what you did without some form of punishment. What you did to each other was _unacceptable_, and we need to take action."

"I understand..." Penny said softly, lowering her head.

"I do believe the best course of action we can take, in addition to grounding you, is _barring you from ChalkZone_." Her mother said.

Penny looked at her, eyes wide in horror. "_B-But mom_...!"

"You did not let me finish." Her mother raised her hand. "You will not be allowed to enter ChalkZone, _but_..." She raised a finger up. "I will permit you to use a small chalkboard so you can still talk talk to your..friends. But if I catch you trying to go in before the five days are up, you will lose the chalkboard as well. Do you understand me?"

"Mom...that isn't fair! You _know_ that there's..." Penny started to say.

"I know, but that isn't _our_ problem, Penita. That chalk world can take care of itself for a few days, _can't it_?" Her mother folded her arms against her chest. "I mean...it was just _fine_ for all those years when you and Rudy weren't _sneaking awa_y into that world, _right_...?"

Penny flinched, feeling a pang of guilt. Her mother was clearly still a little upset about this world being kept a secret from her. Unable to think of an answer yet, she turned her head away.

"So it's settled then. Five days grounded, no leaving your room, and no ChalkZone, save for the chalkboard. After the five days are up, I will lift the ban." Her mother said. "_Then_ you two can get back to saving that world...or _whatever_ you were doing."

Penny resisted the urge to glare at her mother. She tried to keep herself settled down, but she couldn't help but feel bitterness rising up in her stomach, giving her a slight sense of nausea. Her mother didn't understand how much she cared about that world, and it really showed here. Her mother didn't care all that much about what happened to it, or anyone who was from there. To her, they were just chalk drawings; their lives didn't have any meaning to her.

This fact twisted Penny's heart and it was becoming difficult to keep herself quiet. She wished her mother would try to understand. She wished that she would just see how real this place was and try to understand that, just because the zoners aren't human, it doesn't mean their lives meant nothing.

But..how could she convince her mom of that? How would she and Rudy convince any human of that? In the end, it may end up being a futile act. This realization caused her heart to sink. _What would happen if ChalkZone did end up exposed_...?

And the fact that she wouldn't be able to do much about that, being trapped in the Real World and all, it didn't do much to improve her mood. It only made her feel more scared, more terrified of what might happen to ChalkZone. She wished she could go in there now and help the zoners. They could really use her help, she was certain. Instead, she was trapped out here because of her mother...

It wasn't like she could get that mad at her mother, however. Her mom did have a good reason to be angry with her. She did have every right to punish her for what she has done. She just wished that her mom would be more reasonable and lenient, at least for now. Exposing ChalkZone was going to have _dire_ consequences, some of which, she was certain, would affect the Real World as well.

But how would she convince her mother of that? At the moment, she couldn't really think of anything. All she could do was stare at her mom, biting her lip. Her mom merely stared back at her, keeping her eyes narrowed as if to show Penny how serious she was.

Come on, there has to be something..anything she could say... But nothing came to her mind. Unable to think of what to say, Penny lowered her head as if to admit defeat.

"So...do you understand...?" Her mother asked softly. Penny didn't look at her. She just nodded her head rigidly, reluctantly. Her mother said, "That's good then." She exhaled softly. "_Look_, I don't like doing this. I don't like the idea of banishing you from that world, since you seem to love it so much. But I need to..."

"I know, mom..." Penny said, cutting her mother off. "You don't need to explain it to me. I understand."

Her mom nodded her head. "Very well then..." She leaned back away from her daughter. "I do believe that you have school tomorrow, anyway. You should get ready now."

"_But_..."

"Early to prepare, early to get there, the sooner you can start." Her mother said, giving her a small smile. "After all, a well rested brain is best suited for absorbing knowledge, right?"

"Yes, mom..." Penny replied.

Her mother looked to see what time it was. "There's still enough time to prepare. Why don't you go take a shower? I need to do some more chores with the animals. It's almost time, you know?" Her mother turned her back to her and began to head towards the exit. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Oh and after you're done, I want you to return immediately to your room and stay there. Your punishment begins _now_."

Penny gritted her teeth at this. She stared at her mother, silently wishing she could say or do something to change the woman's mind. Now really wasn't a good time for punishment. Why couldn't her mother try to see that? What would it take to make her understand?

What was going to happen to ChalkZone? If she and Rudy both recieved punishment, if they were _both_ locked out...

..._then who was going to protect it from Terry and Von_..?

Penny could feel her blood run cold at this. ChalkZone was literally going to be without a protector. There would be no one left who could stand up to Von and Terry. No one who would have a shot at stopping them and getting rid of the portal. No one, _except_...

Snap, and their ChalkZone friends...

But..would it be fair of her to ask them of that? Would it make sense for her to send them on a mission where they were at greater risk of being _tormented or killed_? Snap could not use the magic chalk, and would be helpless if the humans got into ChalkZone. Same would go for any particular zoner. And using erasers would be very dangerous for a zoner. Would it make sense to send them on this journey alone? Could she and Rudy really ask that of them?

But what other choice was there? She was certain that her mom would take away the chalkboard so she couldn't use it. She was positive that Rudy's aunt, and his parents if they find out, would take away any magic chalk that he had so he couldn't use it during school. Their folks would, more than likely, do what it took to keep them locked outside of ChalkZone until the time came to relent the punishment. In other words: they had absolutely no way of getting into ChalkZone now.

As much as she _hated_ the idea, as much as she _didn't_ want to put her friends in mortal danger, they were the only ones left now who could do something about Von and Terry. It was up to the zoners now to defend their home.

Realizing her mother was still waiting for an answer, Penny swiftly nodded her head. "Okay, mom. I'll go do that."

Her mom smiled at her. "That's a good girl." She walked back over to her daughter and stroked her hair. Noticing the worried look in her daughter's face, she said, "Things will turn out okay. You'll see..."

"I guess so..." Penny said, closing her eyes.

"Don't worry so much. It will be all right." Her mom planted a quick kiss on Penny's forehead. She then moved back, stroking Penny's cheek gently. "Now..go on and take that shower, and try to get your mind off of this. It's not like it's the end of the world or anything."

Penny resisted the urge to glare at her mother. As she watched her leave, Penny couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness in her chest. Of course her mom still didn't see just how _serious_ this really was. She still thought it was no big deal, that anything that happened in that world was not a problem simply because it was made of chalk. She wished she could show her mom how wrong she was.

But for now, she just kept quiet. She watched her mother leave her alone, exiting the house to take care of the animals. For now, she would just have to go along with what her mother said, and keep to her current plan. Maybe, after she took a shower and could relax in her bedroom, she would figure out something that just might work.

There was still uncertainty in that. She knew how easily things might go wrong, or even worse. Time was unpredictable. And it was only time that would reveal to her what will happen. She just needed to be patient.

sss

Rudy rested on his bed, his arms arched over his head and against the pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind filling with the thoughts of what happened lately. The anxiety of it all was enough to make him bit his lip so hard, he nearly drew blood.

He couldn't believe something like this could really happen. He and Penny had enough to worry about and _now_...because of their _foolish_ actions, they had made things worse.

He still felt horrible about the fight they had. He couldn't get rid of that guilt that swirled in his gut, making him feel sick. He knew he should have known better. He knew he should have just walked away from the fight. But no, he kept on going. He attacked and hurt his friend, and she did the same back to them. They both got bitten on the arm and they both were at a risk of infection. He and Penny were going to need a trip to the doctor to make sure there wasn't any signs of infection, just in case.

If he could do it all over, he would. If he could, he'd do whatever it takes to erase this from the past and move on. He could have easily turned away, and try to do the right thing. Oh _why_ did he let himself get pulled into the _madness_...?

He no longer could even feel that much anger towards Penny anymore. He couldn't blame her any longer for what had happened earlier. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Penny did have a good point.

It wasn't really entirely either of their faults. Penny wasn't to blame for not knowing about the tracer. Yeah, she could have been more suspicious, and more willing to try to figure out what was wrong. But in the end, she was just oblivious; she never meant for something like that to happen. And it was true; him keeping the portal open did cause this mess as well. Rudy couldn't deny that, if he had just erased the portal, Terry and Von would have much less of a case to work with. They wouldn't have the irrefutable evidence that was right before them.

Rudy wasn't sure why he was so adamant about blaming Penny. Maybe he just felt so guilt-ridden that he couldn't take it, so he tried to shift it onto Penny. The thought disgusted him. He knew better than that. He knew when to accept responsibility, when something was truly his fault. To know that he had acted so _immaturely_...

But then, they were both acting not like themselves. Both of them had been pushed to the edge, not just by each other, but by the tension of their folks finding out about ChalkZone and trying to find Blocky and then Von and Terry... Could he really blame either of them for losing their tempers? He still wished they could have controlled themselves more, but what was done was done. He was just going to have to wait until school tomorrow to try to talk to Penny and settle things with her.

He was still concerned for ChalkZone. The idea of being locked out of it for five days was terrifying. He could feel himself get antsy at the thought of not being able to help the zoners. He would still have access to his portable chalkboard, so he could still draw things for the zoners and send them messages. But he would not be allowed to enter until after the five day punishment was over.

In the mean time, there was still Snap and the other zoners. There was a portal right into the Real World, likely where Blocky was being kept. Even if he and Penny could not get there to help, Snap and the others were still around to do something about that. They could formulate a plan to rescue Blocky and do something about the portal. Rudy had a feeling that five days would be too late for him and Penny to do something. After all, why would Von or Terry wait that long? But Snap and the others, they could stop them... Rudy made a mental note to himself to write a message to his friends soon.

_No_... He should do that _now_, before he forgot. With that in mind, he reached over to the small portable chalkboard his aunt let him have and picked up a piece of chalk. A normal one, as his aunt had taken all his magic chalk to keep him out of ChalkZone. Without hesitation, he began to draw his message. Once he was finished, he drew a box around the message to ensure it all got erased together. He then used a small tissue to erase the message.

After that, he sat the chalkboard down and rested against his bed once more. He began to think of what he and Penny were going to do, and how they would help ChalkZone from the sidelines. Even if they weren't allowed in, he realized they still had their creator powers. It was still possible that, even when not allowed in ChalkZone, they could defend it from Terry and Von. Maybe they could still turn this around.

He could only hope that his optimism and determination paid off.


	25. Returns

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 25: Returns

_**So...I've heard you've done a bad thing...**_

sss

Snap rested on the ground. He opened up one eye, the solace of sleep already over. For a brief moment, he forgot that he was sleeping inside a large, glass container with two of his friends, Howdy and Blocky. The cold surface and the unfamiliar lighting were enough to reaquaint himself with his present reality.

He lifted up his head and looked over at the others. They were still asleep. Tired, eyes closed. Even in their sleep, he could see just how terrified they were. He bit his lip, wishing there was something he could say or do to help them feel better. He then placed his head back down, chin against the hard, cold ground. He gave a shudder, finding it hard to come to terms with his reality.

He had spent a night in the Real World, something he had never done before. The Real World was a dangerous place for him, for any zoner. It was an act he did not think he'd ever do, especially given these..._circumstances_.

Terry had forced this upon him. She had threatened him into submission. He couldn't believe how weak he was. He should have resisted more. He should have stood up for himself. Now he was left with a feeling of remorse. He wondered how Rudy might feel, if he found out. Surely, he'd understand, _but_... Snap couldn't help but fear what the boy's reaction might be.

Snap didn't bother trying to get out of the containment. Save for the few holes, which he'd never be able to fit through, there were no openings in this thing. He had a good enough look at it to know that no such exit existed, keeping ihim trapped in the glass container.

It wasn't all bad, though. He at least got to see Blocky again. The reunion was rather bittersweet. He wished he could have seen him again under better circumstances. But at least he was with him again and could see what condition he was in, and learn what he had gone through. The stories were horrible, and he found himself wanting to throw up out of rage, but a small part of him was comforted at no longer being in the dark about what happened to him.

He tried his best to control the rage-filled thoughts growing in his mind. The mere idea of those humans hurting Blocky just for 'science'...it was disgusting. Blocky hadn't done a dang fucking thing to them, and yet, they still found it necessary to hurt him like that. _The stretching, the Real World water, the cold, the heat_... Did they stop at nothing to get what they wanted? Were there _no limits_ in what they would do to his friend?

Poor Blocky...he was _so scared_... Snap could tell that he was going to be traumatized for a long time. The zoner had hardly left his side, or Howdy's. He could still feel the rectangular zoner pressed up against him, his breathing slow and steady. Howdy laid on the opposite side of him, his hand lightly pressed against Blocky carefully, an attempt to comfort him even while he slept.

Another good thing is that at least he was trapped with his friends. Von nor Terry had thought about separating them from the container into different ones. At least they could be with each other for comfort. That was something at least.

Snap yawned and closed his eyes. He didn't know what time it was. He couldn't even tell if it was truly morning yet. Right now, he just wanted to go back to sleep and pretend that this didn't happen. He wanted to, for an extra hour or so, dream that he was back in his own home, or getting a visit from Rudy and Penny, of him being anywhere except here.

Unfortunately, life didn't always pan out that way. He didn't have a long time to rest before he heard the scraping sound of the enclosure being opened up.

"Time for your breakfast, _blue boy_."

Snap opened his eyes, but didn't get a chance to look at Terry before the evil woman grabbed him by his cape. He gagged as he was thrust upward, the cloth pressing against his neck. He dangled up in the air, pushing his hands against his cape, trying to get some more breath, as Terry shut the enclosure.

Snap looked over and saw that Blocky and Howdy had woken up from the sudden motion. Remaining on the ground, they lifted up their heads and looked over at him, their eyes wide in horror and shock. Snap opened his mouth to speak to them, but he was suddenly pulled through the air as Terry began to carry him out of the room and down the hallway.

Snap tried to struggle and squirm out of her grasp, but it was useless. His cape was secured too well around his neck, and the cloth itself was too thick; he'd never be able to tear through it. He eventually stopped trying and dangled in the air. He growled softly, displeased at being carried around like a cat. He would try to strike at her, but he held back. The last thing he needed was to make Terry angry.

The woman remained quiet as she carried him down the hallway. He didn't know where he was going, and everything looked so similar here, it was hard for him to keep track of where they had been. He realized that the only thing keeping him from being too nervous was the fact that Terry wanted him alive and had announced it was feeding time.

It took a little longer than he had hoped, but they soon arrived in another room. This one appeared to be the dining hall of this facility. It looked a tad dirtier than he'd expected, and it looked as if it was barely used in quite a while. He wondered if this had anything to do with Von losing his reputation. He was surprised the man could _still_ keep this place at all. Perhaps he still had a ton of money to spare.

Snap took a moment to look around. The ground was white with some pale blue, tiled although having lost its shine. There were several rows of round tables with simple looking chairs pulled up to them. Not far away, he could see a food bar that was mostly barren, a register that was tilted to its side, and a small fridge that still had some bottles of soda in it.

Terry took him over to the nearest table. She dropped him in the chair. Snap didn't have much time to regain his bearings before he felt a click. He looked down and found that his leg had been cuffed to the chair. He narrowed his eyes. So much for an attempt at escape, not that he would have tried to with Terry around anyway. He didn't know this place and frankly, he didn't want to try his luck at getting lost.

"Stay _right here_. Let me go get you your grub." Terry said before turning and walking away.

Snap watched her leave, his eyes narrowing. He took this time to try to figure out what he was going to do once allowed back into ChalkZone. Rudy and Penny might be able to figure out what to do once he delivered the message that Terry wanted him to. They were smart kids. They could figure something out, right?

That is..._if_ he was going to see them at all. He was aware of the issue with Rudy's aunt finding out about ChalkZone. He wasn't sure if that had been truly resolved yet or not. And the idea of possibly having to deal with Rudy's aunt... He could only hope that it would be easier than dealing with Von and Terry.

Snap realized he had to consider the possibility of Rudy and Penny not being able to help at all. If their folks cut them off from ChalkZone... He shook his head, not willing to believe such a possibility. Yet he couldn't shake it off. It would be smart if he tried to figure out something on his own, just in case he was not going to have the input of his friends backing him up.

But how was he going to deal with Von and Terry? For the moment, they had the upperhand. They barely left him and the others unguarded unless they were in the enclosure. And the enclosure was not going anywhere, and it was rather solid despite being hollow. Pushing it over wasn't going to work; Howdy had apparently tried something similar.

He refused to believe it was hopeless, however. There was a way to get out of this mess. He just..had to figure out a different angle at looking at this. A weak point that Terry and Von had missed.

He stifled his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Terry coming towards him. He turned his head and he noticed that she was carrying a small try. On it was a sandwich and a small cup. The drink itself and the sandwich were clearly made of chalk, as he could tell from this distance. This was probably some bit of that food that Howdy had been forced to bring.

Terry walked up to the table and, nonchalantly, dropped the tray onto the flat surface. Snap winced as he heard the loud clang. He stared at the food and drink for a few seconds. Then he looked up at Terry, who folded her arms against her chest and glared down at him.

"_Go on_.." She made a gesture with her head. "_Eat up_. This will be your only chance. You'll get _nothing else_ today from us."

Snap shuddered at the thought. He hated the idea of having to go so long without food, and especially without water. This, however, provided him with an incentive to eat what he could now. Turning his attention to the sandwich, he tentatively picked it up and sniffed it.

"_Oh just eat it already_!" Terry snarled.

"Okay! I _will_! I just..." Snap looked at the sandwich, lifting up the bun. "Is that...?"

"Look, you little runt," Terry growled at him. "Either you eat the food now so we can get going, _or_ I'll take it from you and you will have to wait until tomorrow morning to get anything."

Snap flinched at that. He pressed the bun back down. He looked up at Terry for a few seconds, watching as she crossed her arms against her chest. He froze under her cold glare, and for a moment, he couldn't move. A further narrowing of the eyes prompted him to start eating. As he took his first bite and swallowed, Terry gave a small, eerie smile.

"That's a _good_ zoner..." Terry cooed softly. She reached over and gently patted Snap on the head. He hissed at this, but Terry was not deterred. She rested her hand on him, her fingers moving back and forth. "Just eat up now. You have a job awaiting you. And remember, I will not leave while you eat..."

Snap winced as he felt Terry grab onto his head a little tighter. Her fingernails pressed against the thin cloth, pressing against his scalp. He tried to move his head, but it only resulted in her driving her nails further against his skin.

"So don't try anything _funny_..." More pressure down on his head. "Do you understand me?"

Snap nodded his head swiftly. "Y-Yes, ma'am..." He winced in pain as the nails practically broke the skin. He thought he could feel something leaking on his head, but maybe it was just his imagination.

Terry smiled at this, satisfied by his answer. "Good." She moved her hand away. Snap sighed with relief. "Now hurry up. I need to feed the rest of you zoners before we can get started." She motioned with her hand before refolding her arms. "So _come on_! Eat up _already_!"

"All right! Hold on!" Snap called out to her. He took a quick sip of his drink, enjoying the sweet flavor, and then turned to his sandwich. He gave Terry a small glare before he started to consume the sandwich.

sss

Rudy stood outside of his house, not far from the driveway. He was positioned next to his aunt, who kept her arm around him to keep him there. Sophie stood beside her mother, holding onto her other hand and making some excited squeals.

This was it. This was the day that he had been dreading. The day he had been waiting for.

_His parents were returning_.

While Sophie was excited to see her aunt and uncle again, Rudy was nervous. While Aunt Tilly did promise that she wouldn't speak a word about ChalkZone to them, he knew that could easily change if she decided it was best if she said something. He was nervous about how his parents would react. If his aunt went nuts when she found out, he could only begin to imagine just how his parents might be.

Even if she didn't tell them about that incident, there was still something else he had to worry about. No doubt his aunt would tell his parents about what happened with Penny. The thought of it made him bit his lip nervously. Would his parents keep with the punishment his aunt figured out for him, or would they come up with one of their own?

He tried to have a little faith in his parents. Perhaps they would react more calmly than he was imagining, and understand that he was already being punished. That didn't stop him from worrying, however.

He could feel his heart skip a beat when he saw the car in the distance. His heart clenched, increasing its beating, as it drew closer. In seconds, the car, which he instantly recognized as his parents' pulled into the driveway. He heard the telltale signs of screeching as the car came to a complete halt. There was a clanging as the driver's door opened up, and out stepped his father.

"_Unkie_ Joe!" Squealed Sophie as she rushed over towards his father.

His dad, dressed in a more casual outfit like he was still on vacation, walked around and lowered himself down. "_Sophie_!" He stretched his arms outward. He let out a grunt as the girl lunged into his arms. He grabbed onto her and held her up. "So great to see you!"

His mother now stepped out of the car. She was wearing a similar outfit as his father. She walked over and greeted Sophie. "Did you have a great time with your cousin?"

Sophie nodded her head swiftly. "Playtime! Green paper! Green paper visited us!"

Rudy flinched at this. He soon relaxed when he noticed his parents didn't react to that. He tried his best not to show signs of great relief; he didn't want to tip his parents off that anything was wrong.

"Oh you've such an _active_ imagination!" His mom said.

"Yeah. That's what makes you a good playmate for our boy!" He ruffled the girl's hair before setting her down. As Sophie skipped around a little and then headed towards her mother, his dad straightened himself up, turning his attention now to his aunt. "So, how have things been here while we were gone?"

Aunt Tilly smiled, though Rudy could tell that she was having a bit of a hard time holding back her more negative feelings and worry. "They've been _splendid_! I made quite a bit of money earlier. Rudy and I sold his chalkboard, as someone was willing to pay a _ton_ of money for it."

"That's strange..." His mom said.

"Yeah. Who would pay that much for a chalkboard?" His dad pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Aunt Tilly said, "I'm not sure. But the money was real and I was able to cash it. Here..." Aunt Tilly walked over and handed her sister a couple hundred dollar bills. "I think you guys could use this more than me."

"_Wow_, thanks!" His mom said as she stuffed the money into her pocket. "I'm glad that you and Sophie enjoyed your stay here. I take it that Rudy was just fine with you guys?"

Aunt Tilly nodded her head. "Yeah. Everything just went swimmingly!"

Rudy looked up at his aunt. She gave him a swift, knowing look. He was glad that she was not going to bring up that...unpleasant incident where she struck him. He wasn't sure how well his mom and dad would take that. Especially her mom, seeing how she had known Aunt Tilly for a longer time than she knew her dad. _That horrible incident_... yeah there was no need for his parents to know about that.

"That's good!" His dad said, a wide grin on his face. "I knew you would all get along well while we were gone!"

"And everything is exactly how you left it. I think you'll find everything in tip shape!" Aunt Tilly said.

His mom wrapped her arms around her sister. She pulled her into a hug. His aunt's eyes widened for a few seconds before returning the hug. The two stayed in this embrace for a few seconds before his mom let go of her.

"Thank you so much." His mother said. "We greatly appreciate you holding down the fort for us."

"Let us know if you ever need someone to housesit. We'll be glad to return the favor." He heard his dad say.

"I will!" Aunt Tilly said with a smile. Then she frowned a little, turning her head down. She looked over at Rudy, and he flinched. Her expression alone was enough for him to know what was coming. She looked back at his parents, who were staring at her in confusion.

"_Tilly_...?" His mother said tentatively, reaching her hand out towards her sibling. "I-Is something wrong...?"

Aunt Tilly nodded her head a few times. "Well...I..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "There's...there's something I need to tell you..."

Rudy flinched nervously. He hung his head slightly. He ignored the expressions he got from his parents. He just stood there and waited for his aunt to deliver the bad news. Even if his aunt didn't tell, Mrs. Sanchez or Penny might. And his parents would question the bandages he had on him sooner or later. In fact, he could see them eyeing them right now with suspicion and concern.

He waited for his aunt to finish. He waited for his parents' reaction. He wanted for them to question why he had done such a _stupid_ thing. This was a moment he had hoped he'd never have to deal with, but now here he was, being forced to confront it. He looked up at his aunt, watching as her mouth opened up to respond. Shutting his eyes tighter, he waited for the inevitable outcome.

"You see...The other day.. Rudy and Penny, they..." Aunt Tilly paused. She sucked on her lip. She looked to the left, as if to try to figure out what she was going to say. She turned back. Her expression alone was enough to make his parents look even more worried. "Something happened between them..."

"Did they get into another argument?" His dad asked. "If it's just that, I'm sure they can make up for it. They..." He stopped when he saw Aunt Tilly shake her head slowly. This made his eyes widen further. "What...what are you...?"

"It couldn't have been _that_ bad..." His mom turned to stare at him for a few seconds. Rudy flinched at his mother's expression, the way her eyes seemed to bore into his, the way they silently prayed that his aunt was not going to say what she thought she was. "...right?"

Aunt Tilly closed her eyes. "I'm afraid so. This fight was much worse than the others."

"_H-How...how bad_...?" His dad asked cautiously.

Aunt Tilly stared at him, as well as her sister, for a few moments. Silence fell upon the area. Even Sophie had gone quiet, as if she could detect the tension that was filling up the room. Exhaling slowly, she said, "Well...to start off, both of them are going to need _antibiotics_."

This made his parents gasp, pulling their heads back. They stared at Rudy in disbelief. Their eyes trailed to his arm, where the bandages wrapped around it. They then looked back at Aunt Tilly as if looking for clarification. The woman nodded her head once, causing his parents to shoot him another disbelieving look.

Rudy felt immense guilt when he saw the way they looked at him. What a thing to come home to... He was usually more well behaved than this. They were probably thinking things like 'where did we go wrong' and 'we raised him better than that'.

Rudy couldn't help but lower his head, not even attempting to say anything to his parents. Aunt Tilly had gone silent as well, as if to give his parents some time to let this _horrific_ information sink into their heads. She understood that such information was rather shocking, especially for parents of a usually well behaved child. They had such a great time on their vacation, and now they were forced to face the reality that their only son had gotten into a fist fight with his closest friend.

At last, his mother seemed to catch her voice. She bit it softly, sucking on it. "You're...you're kidding...right...?" She turned to her sister, her eyes wide and pleading. "Rudy _wouldn't_..."

"I'm sorry, but he did." Aunt Tilly confirmed. She stared at her sister sympathetically. "He and Penny got angry at..._something_, and it was bad enough that they just...lost their tempers and they attacked each other." Rudy watched his parents' faces become even more shock-stricken. "They beat each other up pretty badly, though most of their wounds are pretty minor. The biggest concern is that they bit a piece of each other off in the fight." She looked down at Rudy's arm. "That's what needs treatment."

Aunt Tilly turned to Rudy's parents. She watched as they fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of their son being that violent. Rudy remained silent, worrying that he might accidentally make things worse if he said anything.

Aunt Tilly appeared to want to put his parents' minds at ease. "Mrs. Sanchez already did what she could to help them. The worst part is over, but she still wants them to see their family doctors and get some antibiotics. Just in case you know?"

More silence. More just standing around, waiting. Rudy wasn't sure what was going on his parents' minds. They were unusually quiet, less responsive than he thought they would be. He wasn't sure if he was going to get off more easily than he thought, or if they were just having a delayed reaction. He hoped that they would remain understanding, and wouldn't do anything too drastic. But then he remembered how his parents reacted to him going to a concert when they specifically told him not to and he found himself involuntarily swallowing.

"So..you're saying that our boy...got into a fight with Penny...?" His dad asked carefully. His expression, the way he spoke those words, he was still in denial about what his son had done, making Rudy feel even worse.

"And they hurt each other?" His mom asked nervously. She bit her lip for a few seconds before continuing, "They _bit_ each other?"

Aunt Tilly nodded her head solemnly. "I'm sorry to report such bad news to you two. But I felt it would have bene wrong for me to withhold such information from you." She motioned her hand towards them. "You're his _parents_, and you have every right to know about this."

"Yes...Thank you." His dad said. "We appreciate it..."

Then his parents looked over at him. Rudy winced when he saw their expressions now. They were no longer just simply shock or fear. Now anger was starting to show. His parents were usually not so easily angered, so when they glared at him like that, he knew that he was in some _deep shit_. Involuntarily, he let out a soft whimper and took a step back.

To his surprise, as well as his parents', his aunt took a step in front of him, in an almost protective manner. She raised her hand up, silencing the two adults before they had a chance to speak. Rudy remained behind his aunt, staring warily at his parents. He wondered if a fight was going to break out. He hoped not. He had enough of intense emotion lately.

"Please, don't be _too hard_ on him. He feels bad for what he's done and he's going to make up for it." Aunt Tilly said.

"He _still_ needs to be punished." His dad said, his voice anger-laced.

"I know. That's why I already taken the liberty to do that." Aunt Tilly took a few steps towards the two adults. "I can lay out for what you what I had decided. Then you can..."

"You punished Rudy _without_ our permission?!" His dad snapped. "You have no right to do that! He's _our_ son, _not yours_!" He pointed a finger at her. "_So why don't you just_..."

His mom silenced her husband by grabbing onto his arm and forcing it down. She frowned at him, clearly disappointed at his behavior. His dad lowered his arm and uttered a quick apology. His mom then turned to her sister and said, "I'm not exactly happy you did this without contacting us first. But..I understand why you did it, so let's just not press this matter further, okay?"

His aunt nodded her head. Her expression hinted a bit of guilt, as if she knew she crossed some line with his parents. "Shall I relay to you what I did?"

His mom said, "Yes, please."

Rudy watched as his parents and aunt spoke to each other. He felt a tinge of nervousness in his stomach. How was this all going to turn out? Would his aunt be able to convince them to keep her initial punishment? Only way to find out was to wait.

Rudy wasn't too surprised by the way his parents, especially his dad, reacted. They were pretty touchy when it came to his parenting. They usually prefer doing things their way, and the idea of _someone else_...well... They took offense to it, even if it wasn't intended to be. Unfortunate, but that's just how it was with his parents.

He stood with Sophie, feeling her grip his hand, as he watched the adults converse, waiting for it to be over. So far, his parents hadn't tried to protest against what his aunt proposed. They hadn't tried to change it to make it worse or longer. _So far, so good_... But he still prepared himself for the worst. He'd never know with his parents; they might approve of Aunt Tilly's punishment idea, or they might tear it apart.

In the end, he hoped that, whever happened to him, it would not leave him barred out of ChalkZone longer, or even permanently. Right now, he did not care if he was grounded; at the moment, ChalkZone was more important.

After a while, it seemed to finally be over. His parents nodded their heads with Aunt Tilly. There were some shaking of the hands, some nods of approval. Overall, it appeared to have been successful, with maybe one or two hiccups here or there.

"All right then." He heard his father say. "We'll do things that way. I think the punishment is..for the most part, reasonable." He turned to Rudy, and addressed him. "And I hope you learned your lesson, _young man_..."

Rudy nodded his head quickly. "Yes, dad."

His mom folded her arms against her chest. "Attacking your friend like that. For shame..."

Rudy flinched at this. He could just practically hear the disappointment off his parents' voices. Not that he could blame him. He was usually better behaved at this. He could feel his stomach twisted at the memory. It was worse than the time when he tried to 'punish' Michelle by doing a rude picture of her. So much worse...this time, _he had actually hurt someone_...

Aunt Tilly appeared to want to clear up the tension that was developing. She cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Well, why don't we come inside and have something to drink while we listen to your stories?" She suggested, motioning towards his dad and mom. "I'm sure you two have quite a bit you want to say about your trip."

At this, his dad's expression lightened up a little. "Oh yeah, I've got stories for you all right!" He nudged his wife, a grin spreading across his face. "Ain't that right, Millie?"

His mom smirked at him, giving him a sideways glance. "I'm sure you would know _all about that_, Joe."

Aunt Tilly motioned with her arm, arching it through the air. "Come on, let's go inside!"

Rudy was relieved when his parents listened to Aunt Tilly's idea and headed inside. Their faces no longer glared and they were no longer focused on him. They had already vented their anger and frustration with Aunt Tilly when they were speaking earlier, and her reassurance at him already being punished appeared to take a load off of them, even if they didn't fully approve it at first.

But he knew this was just a temporary reprieve. His parents were going to talk to him about his behavior later on. He knew his parents well enough to know this.

He also remembered that, pretty soon, he would have to be heading off to school. Was he willing to face Penny after what had happened between them? Would she even _want_ to see him? Would they get into another fight? This fear had him worried, and he could feel a sense of nausea rise up in his stomach. But he did realize that, in the end, he was going to have to talk to Penny. He just hoped that their next encounter was not going to be particularly bad. Not like what happened yesterday.

"_Rudy, come on_!"

Rudy lifted up his head at the call of his mom's voice. He realized he had fallen behind. "Coming, mom!" With that, he hurried to the door and walked inside.

sss

Rapsheeba was growing increasingly nervous. She sat beside herself in her home, her blanket wrapped tightly around her. She realized that it was morning. Her clock was flashing at her, telling her it's time to hea back into Night Zone so she can begin her day. Yet she reamined where she was, curled up, uncertain of what to do.

She was trying to make sense of what happened lately, what had been going on. She couldn't believe just how fast things had been doing downhill lately. She had hoped that things would improve by now. After all, Rudy and Penny usually were able to turn things around fairly quickly. But in this case...

The twister had been the start of it all. Appearing out of nowhere, just like any other twister, destroying parts of the city. It had been contained, but some zoners were worried it'd break out again, or that more would appear. Normally, she would question the zoners, since random acts of nature, if it can be called that, were normal. But then she started to wonder if it was because this twister was..._different_. After all, it did _deliberately_ chase her and the others. Were the zoners worried that its creator would strike again?

It was possible, and, unfortunately, there was no way of knowing when or if it'd happen again. They were at the mercy of fate. All they could do was wait for the next one. In the meantime, they just had to keep their guards up and wait.

But the twister wasn't ChalkZone's _only_ problem.

There was also that open portal, the one that they had learned about not too long ago. The zoners had been scowering the area, trying to find it. So far, they didn't have much luck on that. Not one zoner had reported seeing anything suspicious. Rapsheeba knew that, the longer this portal remained open, the more likely that it was going to be used against them, somehow. Whether by a human or even another zoner.

Then there was the incident with Howdy. Him pushing her down. Him shocking Penny, knowing her out. There were some rumors going around about the guy, and now more and more zoners had gotten suspicious of him. Rapsheeba feared for him. _If he wandered through the city now_... She had no doubts in her head that he'd be chased, this time with more ferocity.

The dog's appearance was quite _chilling_. It had appeared at the location of Penny's usual portal placement, which alone was enough to make some zoners talk. The fact that the dog was looking for Penny was also suspicious. But most zoners remembered it for its ferocity. It just...attacked anyone who got in its way, and it had such a single-minded goal, hardly considered anything else.

_And the zoners that it had killed_... Granted, there wasn't too high a casualty rate. But the fact that any zoner had been killed was enough to shake her to her core. _Just what was that dog's creator thinking_...?

All of this, Howdy's actions, the tornado, the dog, the portal, the prospect of humans getting into ChalkZone, it all swirled in her head in a combined thought cloud. It left her feeling on edge, and she constantly felt a cold chill on her shoulder. That alone was enough to make each day anxiety filled for just about anyone, not just herself. Yet there was something else to add into the mix.

_Snap appeared to have gone missing as well_...

Rapsheeba figured this out earlier, when she had made a phone call to Lars. Apparently Snap was going to speak to him about something, though she couldn't remember what. Likely to do with their current dilemma. But when the bear told him that Snap _never showed up_...

She tried to rationalize it. Maybe Snap just didn't get up yet. Maybe he was just sleepy. Maybe he had gone out earlier to look for the portal on his own. He didn't seem like the type that would just lay down with this sort of threat on the horizon. He was a zoner that took action. It would be out of character for him to just sit around and do nothing, even if Rudy and Penny are not in ChalkZone.

But she wasn't content enough, and she had called more zoners. Each time, she got the same answer. No one had seen him around. She bit her lip, feeling her stomach twist. She tried to remain hopeful. Despite what this was adding up to, she wanted to believe that there was a chance that he was fine, that nothing had happened to him, that things hadn't gotten worse than they already were.

But..what if something _did_ happen to him? There was an open portal in ChalkZone. What if he was kidnapped? The idea left her with a feeling that was heavy like a stone in her stomach. _If something had happened to him_...

Her eyes widened when she realized that the zoners would likely blame Howdy for that. Especially a certain few that had been more hostile about it than others. She herself had been recieving some negative intention from the more extreme zoners. Her stance towards Howdy, despite being pushed by him, were more favorable. She insisted that Howdy had a good reason for what he was doing. Even though she herself couldn't really understand it, she refused to label Howdy as 'bad' or a 'traitor'. She did her best to ignore such comments.

She thought back to the Pencil Sharpener, where Howdy had been going towards before. She started to wonder something. Was it possible that this was where the portal was? Was Howdy truly involved with it? It made her feel sick, but she was certain that there was a good reason for this. Perhaps she should go there and find out for herself what was going on.

She narrowed her eyes in determination. Yeah... that's _exactly_ what she was going to do. None of the other zoners appeared to want to investigate. They were too terrified of that location. But it's not like she could blame them. The place already had a terrifying reputation, and most zoners avoided it for a reason. But she would take the chance and search for herself. She will do what most zoners were too afraid to: explore Pencil Sharpener.

She knew the risks involved. She knew that any zoner who found out were going to want to stop her, or they'd label her suspicious as well. She didn't care. She wanted answers. If she could find out why Howdy was so secretive, and if she found the location of the portal, she could relay this information to the others. She could lead them there, and they could erase the portal themselves.

And perhaps...they would find Blocky. She hoped so. She missed the little guy. The poor thing must be so scared and frightened wherever he was. She hoped he would remain safe until help arrived.

But she knew, deep down, life didn't always work that way. Life can be quite..._unfair_. She had to keep this in mind.

Not sparing more time to contemplate what she was about to do, Rapsheeba got out of her bed and walked over towards her dresser. She began to change, preparing herself for the task ahead. She made sure to grab a few things that could be used to defend herself with. She never knew what or who she might run into out there.

Once she got what she thought she'd need, she immediately exited her home and headed towards her car, which still looked pretty good despite having to drive a lot of zoners in it the other day from the dog incident. She turned it on and immediately sped off.

sss

"_No! Let him go_!" Snap demanded. "Release him at once!" He pounded against the glass shield over and over, as if he thought he could break it down.

Howdy, on the other hand, simply placed his hand on the cold surface. He stared over, his eyes filling with fear and pleadiness. "_Please_..let him go. Stop doing this. Can't you see how much it's _hurting_ him...?"

Terry paid the zoners no mind. She focused instead at the task at hand. Since Von was too untrustworthy to do this without risking the death of their captive, she opted to do it herself. She felt it was pretty stupid that she would have to be the one in charge of this. She wasn't the one with knowledge of anatomy; Von was. At least, more so than her. The fact that this had to happen at all...

She did her best to shrug it off. There was no use complaining about it now. They had a new thing scheduled up and she planned on following through with it. At least this way, she was able to satisfy the man and didn't have to worry about the state of the zoners.

She held Blocky still. This was quite easy, considering how weak he had become. She was able to use some of the medicine that Howdy managed to get from ChalkZone to create a kind of tranquilizer. This zapped the zoner of his strength and numbed some of the pain, making it much easier to do this.

In spite of the drugs, however, Blocky still squirmed. He whimpered softly, kicking his legs out weakly, trying to get her away. She merely just leaned to the side, avoiding the meek attacks. She tightened her grip on him and snarled at him.

"_Hold still_, you little runt! This will go faster if you just hold still!"

"No.._please_..." Blocky whimpered. His voice was so low, so weak... It was enough to make Terry wince slightly. She shook it off immediately. "Don't do this... Please.. I-It hurts..."

Terry rolled her eyes. "I gave you painkillers, so _suck it up_!" Before she could resume, she heard pounding on the glass container not far. She glared over at where Snap and Howdy were. She could hear them shout at her, telling her to stop. She growled at this. "Oh _shut up_, you two!" Ignoring Snap's protests and Howdy's pleas, she turned her attention back to Blocky.

She held the scissors up to his side. She focused on the area that was already damaged. As much as she didn't want to cause further damage to the area that had been dissolved, she would much rather do this than damage another area. At least here, she could keep it more contained and localized to one spot. She placed the blade against the zoner's side and pressed down.

Blocky screeched at this, prompting more energized reactions from the other two captives. Terry winced, feeling the scream echo in her ears. She did her best to ignore it, raising her shoulder up to try block at least some of the sound, and continued to cut a small piece of flesh from the zoner. If Von wanted a piece of zoner flesh, she'll give it to him as long as it kept him from doing more of those reckless experients too fast.

As she cut, she could see the blood oozing out, moving along her finger. She noticed just how warm it felt. Well duh, she already knew the zoners were warm. She held them enough. But something about feeling the blood..it was different, somehow. She wasn't sure why. And the look on the zoner's face as she cut him, the way his cheeks were stained with tears, the way he was emitting whimpers...

For a moment, she froze. She was, in that one second, unsure if she wanted to continue. That pang of empathy she felt before, it returned.

She soon shrugged it off and continued, cutting into the green zoner's side. She couldn't believe she hesitated like that. This was no big deal. She was just doing a small biopsy. That was all. No big deal. The zoner was just over reaction. It was _just_ a _little snip_...

At least, she disconnected a small piece of flesh. She held it in her hand, staring at it. She was amazed and almost horrified by how realistic it looked, despite being made of chalk. She nudged the jar she had got out towards herself and placed the flesh in there, ceiling it up tightly. She then looked down at Blocky.

The zoner was thrashing on the ground, louder cries coming out of his mouth. Despite the drugs, he was moving around quite a bit, still in clear pain. She wondered if she should have tried for something stronger. If the zoner continued to squirm like this, he was going to hurt himself more. Taking action, she seized the sobbing zoner and held him still.

"Hold still, you little _crybaby_!" Terry growled at the zoner. "_You're fine_! Stop being so..."

"How can you be so _heartless_?"

Terry looked over and glared at Snap, who had spoken to her. She returned his scowl with one of her own. "I'm _not_. You zoners are just..."

"_He's in pain_!" Wailed Snap, raising his hands up in the air. "Of course he's going to cry like that! He's in terrible pain! Look at what you've done to him!"

Terry raised an eyebrow, curling her lip part way up. "It's no big deal." She said. "He's going to be fine."

"How can you do this to another living person...?" Howdy asked. His voice was softer than Snap's, and his expression was more of shock than anger. "Please...at least think about what you're doing. If you just..."

"Oh pipe down! You're wasting my time!" Terry looked down at Blocky. "If you'll excuse me, I need to patch up your friend before he _bleeds out_."

Ignoring the zoners again, she carried Blocky over to the nearby table, placed there just recently. The bag of medicinal supplies was placed in it. She laid Blocky on the table and reached into the bag. She pulled out some disinfectant and bandages, and she began to patch up the hole she had cut into the zoner.

As she did this, she couldn't help but think about what Snap and Howdy had said. She couldn't help but remind herself that these zoners were indeed alive, and, although she tried to push it aside, she could still remember the pang of guilt and sympathy that she had been having lately. She tried to tell herself that it was no big deal and that she shouldn't really feel all that bad for the zoners.

After all, they were _just_ drawings, right? It didn't really matter if they got hurt. They could be healed easily, right? It didn't matter if they died. They can just be redrawn. Isn't that how it worked in ChalkZone? Weren't the zoners, on some level, immortal? At least, a type of immortality that humans could never hope to achieve? True, there was still much she didn't know. But... there couldn't be that much consequence in killing a zoner, right? They weren't as valuable as _human_ life. So why should she care?

Then...if this was the case.._why did she feel any kind of guilt at all_? Why was she letting herself feel this way? Could it be that, in some part, she didn't feel that this was right? That she was starting to think that there was something more to them?

She tried to shake it off. She tried to focus all her attention on bandaging up Blocky. But no matter what she did, or how hard she tried, this pang wouldn't leave her alone. For the first time, she began to have something she never thought she'd have.

_Doubts_.

She tried her best to push it out of her mind. Right now wasn't the time for doubts. She needed to finish up fixing Blocky so she could deliver to 'the highness' Von. He had been demanding the piece of flesh for a while and she wanted to give it to him before he lost his patients and tried to get it himself.

Soon she finished up, wrapping the final layer of the bandage around the zoner's side. She could see the red stain spreading, and then stopping. She smirked at this, knowing that it meant that the blood leakage had stopped. She quickly added an extra layer just in case and carried the zoner over to where his pals were.

After nonchalantly dropping him inside, ignoring his yelp of pain, paying no heed to the glares from Howdy and Snap, she said, "I'll be delivering the sample to Dr. Von Doktor. After that, blue boy, I'll be sending you and Howdy into ChalkZone to deliver the message. If you're not back within an hour..."

"I know, I know.." Snap muttered. "You're going to erase Blocky."

Terry smiled at this. "That's it. You're getting it!" She looked down at Blocky, noting his fearful expression. She broadened her smile. "Though I'm sure that death sounds really good to him right about now..."

At this, Blocky gave a loud whine and cringed. Snap and Howdy moved in front of him. Terry smiled at this show of bravery and protectiveness.

Not wanting to prolong this..._meeting_, Terry turned her back to the zoners and headed towards the table, where she left the jar with the piece of flesh. She grabbed onto it and headed towards the door. She stopped for a moment and looked back at the zoners. With a glint in her eyes, she grinned nastily at them, and then proceeded down the hallway.

sss

Penny remained quiet as her mother started to drive her off to school. She wasn't looking forward to it, and she had tried to convince her mom to let her stay home, but nothing she said worked. Her mother told her that her fears regarding Rudy weren't a good enough excuse to skip out on school, so she was forced to come, regardless of what she said.

It wasn't that she was afraid to come to school, nor was she trying to keep away from Rudy permanently. She just...wasn't sure if she could face him this quickly. She still felt horrible about what happened between them, and she feared that they might end up getting into another fight.

She did feel guilty for thinking that. She wanted to have a little more faith in their friendship than that. But she just couldn't help it. They never had a fight that bad before. She had never actually strike someone like that before. She could still feel the impact against her fingers, making her wince and rub them lightly. She couldn't believe just how.._violent_ she and Rudy had been towards each other. It was like they had turned into a pair of _wild animals_...

Would they be the same after this? Could they really make up for what they did to each other and be able to focus on what was important? Would they still be able to work as a team to find Blocky, to stop Terry and Von, and to close the portal?

She hoped so. Saving ChalkZone was a top priority at the moment. She knew that, and she hoped that Rudy knew that as well.

But even so, she knew that it was going to be awkward seeing him again. Especially since the last time...didn't exactly go well... She shut her eyes as she heard the mental echoes of the cries and snarls she and Rudy made during the fight. Her body still had some phantom pangs of the pain she had recieved from Rudy, and she could feel the sensation of hitting him right back. Even her teeth felt as though they were biting into flesh, _Rudy's skin_... She tried her est to shake it off, but the feelings remained, tormenting her as she sat in the passenger's seat on the way to school.

Her mother said not a word. She knew what she was going through, and she understood that this was a problem that only Penny herself could solve. Her mother could give advice, but it was up to her to take the step. Apologizing to Rudy was going to be difficult, but it was something that had to be done. She hoped that he would forgive her for her foolishness. She really should have controlled her temper more. _She had punched him_...and that started the fight. She couldn't help but feel responsible for that.

As hard as this was, this had to be resolved. She realized that she and Rudy likely won't function very well as a team if they are still harboring bitter feelings towards one another. She hoped that they will be able to ease the tension soon, and before their adversaries catch wind and use it to their advantage.

"Remember, Penita." Her mom called out as she made a turn onto the road the school was on. "I will pick you up early from school today for the doctor's appointment."

"Yes, mom." Penny said, nodding her head. She remembered that her mother scheduled an appointment with the family doctor to look at her arm, just in case. There was a chance that an infection could settle in, and they needed to get antibiotics. Her mother has some, but _not_ for humans.

Her mother remained quiet for a few seconds. Then she said, "Rudy will be joining us."

Penny nearly choked at this. She clutched her throat and swallowed. She then turned to her mother, staring at her with wide, shock-filled eyes. "What?" She spluttered, not expecting her mother to say that.

Her mother stopped a red light. She used this moment to glare softly down at her daughter. "His appointment is at about the same time as yours, and his doctor is in the same building, too. His parents felt it would be more convenient if I picked him up as well."

Penny remained silent at this. She could feel her heart clench. Normally, this wouldn't bother her, and she'd welcome the company. _But with what happened between them lately_...

"I know you're nervous, Penny. But trust me. It's going to be fine." Her mother said reassuringly. "Plus, the time in the car will give you two a chance to speak. If you aren't able to during school that is." She resumed driving the car after the light shifted to green.

Penny remained silent at this, unsure of what to say, or how to feel about what her mother had said. The idea of sitting with Rudy at the moment sounded..._awkward_, with what happened between them and all. And she wasn't sure if she liked the idea of them apologizing and trying to make it up with each other in the car. She had wanted to do it somewhere more..private, where they could talk to each other one on one.

But she knew there was nothing she could say or do to change her mother's mind. She was just going to have to accept it and be prepared to face Rudy, in case it doesn't go over as well during school.

Speaking of which, she could see the school up ahead now. Her mother drew closer to it very quickly, and in no time, her mother parked the car on the side of the school, the edge of the car nearly touching the sidewalk. Penny hopped out of the car, bidding her mother farewell. She watched her mother leave and she turned towards the school entrance. She began to walk that way when she noticed movement in the corner of her eye.

It was Rudy. His parents' car just left, but she hardly paid attention as she looked at Rudy. The boy's head was hung low and he averted his gaze from her. His expression was unreadable. She couldn't tell if he was angry or if he was nervous or what. But the way he was moving so slowly... It was clear he was feeling just as guilty as she.

The sight of him made her feel nervous, and she took a step back. She tried to think of something to say, but no words would come out. Rudy made no attempt to speak to her, and never once did he try to look at her in the eyes. Soon he got close enough that he nearly brushed up against her, and he began to make his way towards the school entrance like she was.

"Rudy..." Penny finally managed to say, holding up a finger. Rudy stopped and looked over at Penny. She winced at his expression. "I...um.." She looked down at his arm. "..how are you feeling...?"

Rudy gave a soft grunt. "I'm fine..." He looked down at her arm in return. "And you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Penny said. She thought she could see a smile in Rudy's face, but it was rather faint. "So, when did you want to start..." She stopped when she noticed that Rudy began to walk away from her. "..talking. _Hey, Rudy! Wait_!"

Rudy ignored her. He just kept going, his gait rather off, his head remaining low. Penny watched him for a few seconds. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Without further delay, she went into the school.


	26. Doubts

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 26: Doubts

_**Was I right? Was I wrong? All I know is what I do.**_

sss

It was a rather awkward feeling, sitting in class not far from Penny. It was nothing unusual. He did this every school day, ever since Penny had become a part of the class.

But today, it felt so..._strange and out of place_. While he knew that he wasn't in any danger, he couldn't help but feel.._tense_. It wasn't sure how he could describe it to anyone. He just felt like he was in constant need to watch where she was, where he was, and..he just felt awful feeling like that. He really did want to speak to Penny, but at the time being, he just..wasn't sure if he could make himself.

Not like he could say anything to her right now, anyway. Class was going on, and Mr. Wilter's voice filled his head, making it hard for him to fully concentrate on the raging storm inside of him. Probably a good thing, too. Otherwise, Mr. Wilter would go on a rant about cartoons or something.

Once in a while, he'd look over at Penny. She wouldn't stare at him; instead she fixated her gaze on Mr. Wilter. He made no attempts at getting her attention. Like him, she probably wasn't took keen on speaking to him too quickly; especially during class. He hoped that, when time comes to talk, they both would have an easier time.

But no one said it was going to be easy, and he had to agree with that sentiment. He wasn't even sure how he would begin the apology, what to say first, or anything. Apologizing was never easy, but it was the hardest when it was to a best friend. He and Penny never fought that hard before. What could he say that would solidify their friendship? To ease both their minds so they can move on from the fight?

At the moment, he couldn't focus on that. Mr. Wilter was talking about some pop quiz tomorrow, and he was giving information on the assignment. Forcing himself out of his daze, Rudy pulled out a pen and paper to begin writing.

"What's the matter, _Tabootie_?" Came Reggie's sneering voice. "You were _spacing out_ there."

Rudy tried his best not to look at Reggie. The last thing he needed was another trip to the principal's office. He and Penny got off lucky then. Best not test his luck again. "Do you mind, Reggie? I'm trying to write down the assignment."

"Were you thinking about your _girlfriend_?" Reggie jeered at him.

"Why don't you ask me after class?" Rudy answered in a low voice. He hoped that Mr. Wilter's attention wouldn't be drawn here. But if Reggie didn't stop...

"Oh come on, you can tell me." Reggie placed a hand against his chest. "You know I wouldn't be _so low_ as to _flaunt_ about your _girlfriend_ to the _entire school_."

Rudy rolled his eyes. Still he refused to look at him, and this time, he refused to answer. That was just adding fuel to the fire. He shouldn't encourage Reggie like that. He would never stop, no matter what he said. And it's not like he would ever trust him anyway; Reggie was the _last_ person that could be trusted with any secret.

He was a little agitated by the comment of a girlfriend. He wouldn't exactly deny that he had a crush on Penny, but Reggie's words made it sound like it was a bad thing, or something hardly noticed. He and Penny already heard some comments from students about them, so it's not like the whole school didn't know. But Rudy really didn't like calling Penny his girlfriend, nor was he presently interested in a serious relationship with her. They were only ten, for crying out loud. Maybe when they were older. _Maybe_.

Eventually, Reggie did seem to tire of trying to taunt him and he became quiet. Whether or not this would be the last time he'd hear from him, only time would tell. Reggie wasn't the type to just let things go so easily. He wouldn't be surprised if Reggie tried to beat him up later just for not listening to him. The prospect of getting hurt again didn't please him, but Reggie rarely went that far with his beatings. Plus he wasn't going to be crazed like a wild animal, _like he and Penny had been_...

"Remember, class!" Mr. Wilter's voice cut through. "Tomorrow, you will all be taking a pop quiz that will count towards ten percent of your school year grade."

"But, Mr. Wilter..." One of the children, whom Rudy recognized as Bobby, raised his hand. "Isn't that..."

"Pipe down, you!" Mr. Wilter said as he pointed a finger at Bobby. "I'm the teacher around here!" Bobby nodded his head and shrank in the chair. Mr. Wilter then cleared his throat. "All right then, to continue..." He clamped his hands together. "Make sure you all read chapter 5 in your text books. I trust you will all do your best on the assignment."

"Yes, Mr. Wilter." The class responded.

Mr. Wilter said, "That's good. Now to continue with today's lesson..." The man turned towards the chalkboard and raised up a piece of chalk. As he began writing, he said, "Who can tell me which country was the founder of cheese?"

Rudy hardly paid attention to Mr. Wilter after that. He found his mind wandering again. He tried not to. He tried to pay attention, knowing that it was going to bite him back if he didn't.

But he just couldn't help it. The incident with Penny...it remained in his head, haunting him. He couldn't stop it from playing through in his mind. He kept thinking of all the what-ifs, and things that could have happened. The fight could have gotten _so much worse_. Even though he already knew how it turned out in the end, the more worse what-ifs kept plaguing his mind.

What if they _had not_ stopped when they did? What if they kept fighting? What if they bit each other harder, more often? What if they caused _more_ internal damage? What if they broke a limb?

Rudy tried to remind himself that it was pointless in getting upset over it, yet it was difficult to push out of his mind. It was further compounded by his own guilt. Even though he knew it was useless to keep beating himself up over this, and that he should just focus on apologizing, but he still couldn't help but spend a good portion of the time scolding himself for what had happened.

This was not going to be good once they started to look for Blocky. This would hinder their efforts in stopping Terry and Von. He needed to try to be more focused, to not allow his personal feelings clog his judgment. Would he and Penny be able to do that? He hoped so, but only time would tell.

"_Mr. Tabootie_!" Mr. Wilter's voice suddenly cried out. Rudy let out a surprised cry. "Since you have _so much time_ on your hands that you can daydream, why don't you give us the answer?"

"I..." Rudy stammered. He couldn't remember what the question was. He struggled to think of what it was. He turned to Penny, but realized that she wouldn't be able to help. He turned back to Mr. Wilter. He needed to give some kind of answer to the man. Desperate, he said, "Uhh... a comatose rock?"

Mr. Wilter blinked a few times at Rudy. He slowly raised his eyebrow. "...a comatose rock invented cheese...?"

Rudy slapped himself in the face as several students, including Reggie, began to laugh at him. _Comatose rock_...why did he say something _so stupid_? He slumped in his chair, his face reddening from embarassment.

Mr. Wilter shook his head. "I expect more from you, Mr. Tabootie." Mr. Wilter then turned his head towards another student. Rudy could see that Penny now had her hand raised up. "Yes, Ms. Sanchez?"

"The answer is none, as the origins of cheese date back so far that no one is able to positively identify which country was the true founder of cheese."

"That's correct, Ms. Sanchez!" Mr. Wilter said. He began to write some words on the chalkboard. "Now, can anyone tell me..."

Rudy rested his head on his desk, still swamped with embarassment, which was now intermingling with his guilt. Not exactly a good combination. Well, this wouldn't be the first and only time he had ever done or said something stupid. As horrible as it was to be laughed at, he would take this over the guilt of hurting Penny. By comparison, this wasn't so bad.

Hopefully, this class would go by fast, and he would be able to talk to Penny during lunch time. It seemed to be the best bet. It was sooner than lunch time and it would be easy for him to look around and make sure that the other students weren't eavesdropping. Plus, they would be so busy talking to themselves that they would hardly hear what he and Penny were saying. True, they could also wait for recess, as that had its advantages, too, but he would rather try to get this done and over with faster, despite his personal feelings on the matter.

Then after that... He wasn't sure. He just realized that, without ChalkZone, it was going to be really hard to communicate with Penny. They would need to discuss plans, and the only time they can do that is during recess, or lunch if they happened to have time. Before they even leave school, they would need to come up with a game plan. It was doubtful that their parents would let them visit each other too soon after the fight. The doctor's appointment was just an exception.

Despite his fear and worry, he was still hopeful that they would figure out something, and they could resume their mission to help ChalkZone. Their parents might have stopped them from going, but they hadn't stopped the mission.

sss

"Oh Snap! I'm _so glad_ to see you!" Rapsheeba cried as she wrapped her arms around the blue and white zoner.

Snap struggled in her grasp. She was squeezing a little too tightly. "_Please...stop...you're..it's...too tight_.."

Rapsheeba immediately released him when she realized he was right. "I'm _so_ sorry!" She put her hands against her mouth as she stared down at Snap. "Are you okay?"

Snap sat on the ground after he was dropped. He rubbed his side as he clenched his teeth. "Yeah..I'm fine. Don't worry." He climbed back up to his feet. He smiled at Rapsheeba. He had to admit, it was difficult to contain his joy at seeing her again. "I'm so glad to see you."

Rapsheeba took a step towards him. "I had been looking for you _everywhere_! I was just on my way to the Pencil Sharpener and..." She paused. Her eyes shifted as she appeared to see something behind him. "Oh...hello, Howdy.."

Snap flinched at that. She sounded..not really cold, but..he wasn't sure how to pinpoint it. It was certainly different than her usual tone of voice. He turned his head and he could see Howdy was standing next to him, or rather, behind him. He was fidgeting, and looked rather nervous to be in Rapsheeba's presence.

Snap reached down and gently touched Howdy on the shoulder. He remembered the brief explanation his friend gave. Now it was time for him to work up the courage to tell Rapsheeba the same thing. "It's all right, Howdy. Go on ahead." Snap said with a small smile on his face. With a gesture of his head, he said, "Tell her what you told me."

Rapsheeba appeared to take interest in this. She moved a little closer, her eyes focused intently on Howdy. The puppet zoner shrank away, looking ashamed of what he had done. Rapsheeba glared softly at him, as if she harbored some negative feelings towards him. Or was she just merely confused?

Rapsheeba lowered herself towards the ground, her knee pressing against the hard surface. "Howdy... I don't... I..." She bit her lip as she struggled to figure out just what she wanted to say. "I don't understand why you pushed me, why you had run away, why you had knocked out Penny... I thought you were better than that." Howdy lowered his head further. Rapsheeba's expression softened up. She reached over and cupped Howdy's chin. "But..I'm certain there's a _good reason_ for it...right?"

Howdy looked up at her. A few tears streamed down his face. He nodded his head once, opening his mouth. At first, all that would come out were shaky, trembling breaths. He looked left and right as he tried to articulate his words. He managed to squeak, "I..I was captured...and..and I had... I..." He couldn't speak anymore and he just shut his eyes and leaned against Rapsheeba.

The singer zoner stared down at Howdy with concern. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. She gently rubbed his back and whispered soft words to him. She then turned her attention to Snap. "What happened?"

Realizing that Howdy wasn't going to be able to finish his answer, Snap stepped up. "He was kidnapped by Dr. Von Doktor and Terry Bouffant. They were using him to bring some items from ChalkZone to prolong Blocky's life so they can continue to experiment on him." His voice held a tinge of bitterness at this.

Rapsheeba gasped in horror, her hand once again finding its way to her mouth. For a few seconds, she didn't speak. Her wide eyes told all that she was feeling. After she let this horrific information settle in, she managed to speak again, asking in a weak voice, "_And you_...?"

Snap shut his eyes as he remembered the details of what happened. "I ran into Howdy earlier and he led me to the portal. I was captured by Terry and now she wants me to deliver a message to Rudy and Penny. Have you seen them?"

Rapsheeba shook her head. "No, I..." Suddenly she stopped. She stared at Snap with wide eyes. She leaned forward slightly and said, "_Wait_, you know where the portal is?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yes. It's in Pencil Sharpener. But it's dangerous as it leads straight into the base of those two creepazoids, where they are holding Blocky. It's too risky to just go in and..."

"We have to take action!" Rapsheeba called out. She had let go of Howdy. The puppet zoner took a few steps back away from her, staring at her warily. "We _need_ to tell the zoners about this!"

"But, queenie..." Snap said softly, a stern tone to them. "It's too risky. We need to get Rudy and Penny first. They..."

"But they aren't here right now! They hadn't arrived yet! Snap, we can't just hold this off! _We need to take action now_! Do you have any idea how _restless_ the zoners are getting the city? Do you know the rumors that are spreading about me and Howdy?"

At this, Snap looked over at the puppet zoner. He could see the zoner flinch at this statement and cringe. He felt bad for him. But despite that, he knew that this wasn't good enough to take action immediately. They needed to wait for Rudy or Penny first. It was just too risky going back there without the help of a creator. If a bunch of zoners _just barged into the Real World_...

"We need to spread the word about this so that all the zoners in the city know about the portal. They need to know that it has been located so their minds can be put at ease. They need to know what Howdy has been doing so that they know who is on which side." Rapsheeba said. "During a time like this, we need to know who is friend and who is foe. Snap, you should know this."

"I do." Snap said.

"Then _come on_!" Rapsheeba motioned with her hand. "Let's go tell the zoners the good news!"

"Well..that probably isn't a good idea right now..." Snap said softly. Rapsheeba stared at him in shock. He continued before she could say anything. "Queenie..I've seen what it was like in there. I saw what they had done to Blocky. Do you want them to do that to _more zoners_? In the Real World, we might be able to go on flat surfaces, but the humans still have an advantage. _All_ the fluids there are _deadly_ and they have erasers. If we aren't careful, we can easily be killed. And these humans have been gathering information on zoners, which would make them _even more dangerous_ already." He closed his eyes lightly, folding his arms against his chest. "I'm sorry, but we can't tell any of the zoners yet. Some of them will just be rash and try to rush into this, and they will get caught and hurt, even killed. We _need_ to think this through more, and we need Rudy and Penny, or one of them if it comes to it. We..."

"Well we _can't_ wait for them! The zoners are getting ansty in ChalkZone City, Snap! They're about ready to go crazy! The past incidents, and the threat of the portal and new, evil creators has put them all _on edge_!" Rapsheeba said. She formed a fist with her hands. Her eyes locked onto his, widening in desperation. "_Please, Snap_! You and Howdy had been there, so you can help us! Please, let's try to end this now while we still have a chance!"

Snap shook his head. "No, Rapsheeba. We must wait for..."

"Rudy and Penny aren't always going to be able to help us!" Rapsheeba cried, stomping her foot on the ground to get attention. "We need to learn to stick up for ourselves! It's time that we took action!"

Snap stared at Rapsheeba for several moments. He hesitated to answer, thinking about what she had said. He understood why she felt this way. After how the crowd chased Howdy, he had no doubt in his head that rumors had spread about him like _wildfire_. He could also understand why the zoners were getting upset. The threat of the portal and more creators must be too much for many to bear. Until the threat was eliminated, the zoners were going to be quite in edge.

Still, despite that, Snap knew it would be too dangerous to spread the word just yet. Some of the zoners would be rather reckless and rush towards the portal with no planning. Given the circumstances, he knew this would be a likely case scenario. He couldn't allow the zoners to rush into danger like that. No, they had to think this through and...

"..I think she has a point, Snap..."

The blue superhero turned to Howdy. "What are you saying, Howdy? We can't just..."

"I _know_. I understand the risks. But..Snap... You hadn't been there as long as I had." Howdy said. Snap frowned at this. Howdy appeared to read his mind and added, "Yeah, I know it wasn't that much longer. Still, I had seen more of what they were capable of."

Snap cocked an eyebrow. "So then you agree with me?"

Howdy shook his head. "After what I've seen, that just gives me a stronger desire to see them stopped." He motioned a hand towards himself. "Yeah I'm not much and I can't really force them to do anything. But there are stronger zoners in the city, Snap. We have numbers on our side. Von and Terry are only _two_ people. There's _a lot more_ of us. We can overwhelm them with our shere vastness and stop them."

Snap couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Howdy even listening to _what_ he was _saying_? Did he not comprehend just how dangerous and suicidal that would be? True, there were some rather strong zoners, but that didn't mean much when faced with Real World water, or a Real World eraser.

This was why it was better to just bide their time and get Rudy and Penny. He still needed to deliver the message. _If Terry found out that he didn't deliver it_...

He shook his head, realizing that he was wasting itme sitting around and pondering. "Look, let's just speak to Rudy and Penny first, and then we can discuss what we will do." Snap looked from Rapsheeba to Howdy. "To rush in without a plan is suicide! Rudy and Penny know that world better than we do. We should just..."

"They aren't here right now!" Rapsheeba called out. "Rudy sent a message to ChalkZone stating that he and Penny won't be able to come in for a _few days_!"

Snap froze at this, staring at her in shock. He couldn't believe what he heard and it took him a few seconds to fully register it. He licked his lips nervously. "_Wh-What_...?" He managed to choke out.

Rapsheeba gave an exasperated sigh. "Earlier, a message from Rudy Tabootie himself came. In it, he detailed an unfortunate Real World event that caused him and Penny to get grounded. They are not allowed to enter ChalkZone until that is up."

"So...you're saying they will not be able to come in and help?" Snap asked.

Rapsheeba shook her head. "_Nope_. However, they can still draw things and aid us that way." Snap and Howdy exchanged looks at this. "So now you know why we can't wait." Snap looked back at the female zoner. "They will be gone for five days, Snap. _Five. Days_. Do you _really_ think we have _that long_? We need to act now, while we still have a chance! So..what do you say?"

Snap didn't answer right away. He kept his mouth shut, his eyes turned towards the ground. The information swept through him, feeling like a cold chill. He couldn't believe this horrible turn of events. How could something like this have happened? What did Rudy and Penny do that was keeping them barred out of ChalkZone?

_This was bad_... What was he going to do now? He needed to deliver the message to them, and if Terry found out that he didn't... His heart raced against his chest, remembering her threat. Even if she didn't try to erase all of ChalkZone, she could still do a lot of damage. Now, more than ever, they needed to watch their step and...

"I see you're still adamant about not doing this." Rapsheeba's voice cut through the air. The tone of it made Snap flinch as he turned his attention back to her. "I had hoped that, after you learned this, you would be more willing to help, but I can see I was wrong." She narrowed her eyes not out of anger, but out of hurtfulness. "Well, I'm going to inform the zoners, whether you want to help or not." She swiftly turned her back to him. "Do what you feel is necessary, Snap. And I'll do the same."

"Rapsheeba, _wait_!" Snap called out, reaching his hand out towards her. "Please, I..."

"There's no need to apologize, Snap. I understand your hesitation." Rapsheeba said. She looked over her shoulder and stared out at him. "Just..do whatever it is you were going to do. Howdy and I will go to the city and inform them of the update." At this, Snap noticed that Howdy went towards Rapsheeba. "If you wish to join us, you know where to find us."

With that, they departed, beginning to head towards ChalkZone City at a brisk pace. Snap watched them leave, unable to do or say anything to stop them from leaving him alone here like this.

His mind swirled with thoughts as the recent events replayed in his head. Rudy and Penny were locked out of ChalkZone? That was...going to make things a lot harder, just to be blunt and simple. And that didn't even cover everything. What could he do now? What could any of them do? He admired Rapsheeba's bravery and all, but...bravery wasn't going to win this battle.

He looked back towards Pencil Sharpener, which was quite a ways into the distance by now. He couldn't head back now, not without Howdy. _And if he showed up without delivering the message_... It wasn't like Terry would believe him; that was why she sent Howdy with. She would think he got rid of him. _And then she would_...

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to stand around and do nothing. He..he had to take action. But he was so conflicted... Should he join Rapsheeba and the other zoners' efforts in breaking into the Real World to rescue Blocky that way? Or was it better to wait and think of a plan? He would rather think of a plan, but at the moment, nothing came to mind. And if Rudy and Penny were going to be gone for _five days_...

.._then that meant that they really were, largely, on their own_...

Snap wasn't sure how well a bunch of zoners were going to do in the Real World. He still feared the worse, and he couldn't stop imagining the horrible, gruesome deaths they would most likely suffer when they try to face the two humans. He clutched his head, feeling a dull ache as he struggled to get the terrifying images out of his head, yet failed.

Unable to make up his mind, too tormented by both decisions and the implications that they might lead to, Snap dropped down onto his knees, still holding onto his head. He gritted his teeth tightly, eventually riding out the headache. He let out a sigh of relief, and took in a few breaths. He lifted up his head and stared off at the retreating forms of Rapsheeba and Howdy. Maybe he should go after them. Maybe Rapsheeba's idea was the best one to go with.

But...he needed a bit of time to think first. He needed to contemplate his actions before he did anything. Maybe he would think of a better plan if he just tried hard enough. He sat himself on the ground, crossed his legs, and began to think. He hoped and prayed that something would come up. Something that would lead to a better solution than...a possibly _suicidal_ mission...

However, he couldn't help but feel that he have no such luck.

sss

Terry paced back and forth in the room. She had her hands folded behind her back. Once in a while, she'd look over at Blocky in the glass container not far from her. Then she'd resume her pacing, her mind going through multiple thoughts.

She wondered what was keeping Snap and Howdy. They were given a simple assignment. It shouldn't have taken _this long_ for them to find chalk boy, right? Snap knew his creator quite well, so she would imagine. It wouldn't have taken this long for him to find his creator and deliver the message. He should have been back by now. It's been...she couldn't remember, but it's been a while at least.

She gritted her teeth, doing her best to remain calm. She tried to tell herself that Snap would be back soon, that he and Howdy knew the consequences if they did not and they would return.

But the longer she waited, the more she started to wonder if those two had ditched her. Maybe they took the chance and were telling some other zoners about what was going on. _If that is the case_... She clenched her hand into a fist. She would make sure those two paid for their defiance. She would make sure that they never tried to disobey her again. As for anyone else who tried to interfere... Well, it was going to be pretty fun erasing some of the zoners. She had wanted to try it, see how it would look.

She dismissed the thought, knowing there were more important things to worry about. If Snap and Howdy didn't get back here soon... She turned her attention towards the hallway, where she knew the portal was. She had no plans on going into ChalkZone. _Not yet_. In order to have a proper revenge against those brats, she needed to make sure she cut off any chance they could stop her, block any route they might try to take. Soon would come the time to get into ChalkZone, but it wasn't right now.

Her mind went to when she had drawn the twister. She had no idea if it worked or not. She hadn't been in ChalkZone to see it. But if it did work... A smile ticked along her face. Yeah, that might be just the ticket. If Snap and Howdy wouldn't return...perhaps she could _make_ them return.

She would give them more time first. She didn't want to take action if it was not necessary. Maybe they were on their way back right now. Creating something might bring about suspicion. She had no idea how populated the area the portal was in truly was. She didn't know if zoners came there often or not. She didn't want to create something right there; that might lure the zoners over and blow her cover. They'd tell Rudy and Penny and... She growled softly. She just couldn't have that.

But eventually, after all these annoyances and inconveniences were taken care of, it would all pay off. She couldn't wait to see the look on Rudy and Penny's faces once everything was set and she was able to broadcast proof of ChalkZone. No one would laugh at her again.

_And Rudy and Penny_... She was so going to enjoy their reactions. Especially Rudy, whom she held a much larger grudge against. She would make sure he got payback for what he had done to her on national television. He humiliated her, so she was going to do the same right back at him. He was going to feel every bit of the mental pain she had to endure, and _then some_...

She heard a soft groan. She whipped her head over and glared in the direction of Blocky. The green zoner was laying on his back, groaning in pain. He was no longer looking at her, his eyes facing up. They seemed rather unfocused, and the way he slowly blinked, he hardly seemed all that alert.

"_Hey_! You there!" Terry called out to the zoner. "_Pipe down_, will you? I'm trying to concentrate!"

Blocky merely let out a moan at this and twisted his body around so he could lay on his undamaged side. He curled into a small ball and gave a soft whimper. Terry just glared at him and shook her head. She looked away, trying to return to her previous thoughts.

She hoped that Snap would return soon. He knew the consequences of running off. She didn't think Howdy would. Yes, that puppet zoner knew very well what they were capable of. She could trust that he would keep Snap in line and have him complete his duty. Then...

Hmm...just what was she going to do with Snap afterwards? After he delivered the message, there really wasn't much left for him to do, right? She did discuss something with him before, but she was starting to have second thoughts. After all, the initial reason she enlisted him at all was to get Rudy and Penny to understand the current situation, to warn them of what will happen if they dared to interfere.

Well...the little zoner _did_ play a part in her humiliation. He did help Rudy get her into ChalkZone. He did pull the portal way, letting her bald head to be exposed on national television. He was every bit as responsible for that. Maybe she should _pay him back_...

A small smile spread across her face. Yeah, that was it. Once Snap came back, or once she made him come back, she would teach him a lesson. One that he would never forget.

But what to do? What could she do to him that would _stick_ to him? What could she do that would ensure that he would _never_ forget the lesson? Something that he would remember for a _long_ time? There had to be something. She searched her mind, recalling her interactions with the zoner, and tried to locate something about him that she could use against him.

Her lips stretched back further as her smile returned. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. She recalled that Snap had a bit of an ego on him. He loved attention, and appeared to have some pride in himself. _Maybe she should do something about that_...

Yes, that's what she'll do. She would _break_ him. She would tear him down, destroy that ego of his. She would take him apart, force him to return home a shattered shell of the zoner he used to be. Then, he will learn never to mess with her again. And the fact that he was a zoner gave her more liberty on what she could and would do to him. After all, zoners were just drawings. She repeated that in her head over and over. Zoners were just drawings.

But then something stopped her. She gritted her teeth. It was that darn pang again. That bit of doubt that clung to the back of her mind. The thing that had been distracting her from her work. She thought she had taken care of it before. Now it returns again. _How annoying_...

Time and again, she told herself that zoners were just drawings and that there was nothing to worry about. But even then, she still felt that doubt prop up again. And each time, it was stronger. It was as though the longer she was with Blocky, with any zoner, the more she started to doubt herself, and her current view on them. Blocky's cries of pain, his body squirming on the ground, the sight of it clawed at the back of her mind, telling her just how real this was. Yet her logical, rational side still told her that he was just a drawing. The two sides of her mind went at war with each other, and she clutched her head, feeling a dull ache.

No, zoners were _just drawings_... They weren't valuable like humans... They _didn't_ matter... She shouldn't care about Blocky... She...

Then..why did she save him? If she didn't care, why did she go to save him from the heat experiment? Wouldn't that mean she cared at least a smidgen about him? She shook her head. No it did not. She was just doing business. She couldn't have them running out of a specimen to use. Not before they could get more.

She only interfered because Dr. Von Doktor was such an idiot. She couldn't believe how he nearly messed up his own experiment. He wasn't even paying attention to the life readings. She was amazed that the zoner survived at all.

Yeah, she somewhat nursed him back to health, but that was only because they couldn't have their specimen dying on them just yet. That was all it was. Nothing more, and nothing less. Blocky meant _nothing_ to her.

But as she stared at the zoner, watching him shiver, that pang still grew stronger. It snaked through her body, and she started to feel the burning sensation in her arms and stomach, telling her that something was wrong. She kept staring at Blocky, her mind trying to make sense of the feelings she was starting to get. Her head hurt as she struggled to make sense of the war that went on inside her mind. She could feel the internal debate wage on as she found herself unable to tear away from Blocky.

She took a few steps back, shaking her head. She realized she must have spent too much time with Blocky. His noises were getting to her. They must have triggering her more maternal side. _The clever beast_...

She needed to get out of here. She needed to get away from the wild animal and walk down the hallways, or even outside, and clear her mind. Yeah, a bit of time out of this room would do her good. She would be able to recollect her thoughts and remind herself of what Blocky _really_ was.

She turned and headed out of the room. She didn't bother telling Blocky. It wasn't like he was going anywhere. She shut the door behind her just in case he got any funny ideas and tried to escape. She then headed down the hallway. No particular direction, no destination in mind. Just a nice walk through the building.

Yes, a walk was exactly what she needed. It was true what they say, how walking helps you think better. She could feel her mind's gears turning faster, making it easier for her to think. She relaxed herself and continued her walk, her mind now having an easier time to sort out the thoughts she was having earlier.

She continued down the hallways, uncaring of where she was going. She just needed to get further away from Blocky, where his sounds would not interrupt her thoughts, or fill her with any more of those..._doubts_. It didn't take too long for her to get far away enough for a long enough time for the guilt to wash away completely as her rational thoughts took over. She smiled at this. Now she could get to thinking properly.

Now...what should she do next? She wondered if she should go after Snap. No, she already told herself that wasn't going to happen. She needed to wait first. Now was too early to go there.

Hmm..should she make another creation to go after him? That was a thought that she considered. But she didn't yet know if the chalkboard worked like that, or if the zoners being drawn hear what was being said. She wasn't sure if she wanted to waste her time on something that may or may not work. And if Snap was on the way, it may come across as too excessive, making it a little harder to control the little beast.

She didn't like the idea of waiting around, doing nothing. She wanted to get productive. She wanted to do something. As she wandered the halls, hearing nothing but her own footsteps and breathing, she tried to think of something that she could do.

She realized that the reason she wanted to take a walk was to clear her mind, yet she was unable to relax. Her mind kept expanding with thoughts about ChalkZone, the zoners, and those two little brats. There was also another emotion clinging to her chest. Something more positive that was truly pushing things forward. And that was excitement.

Excitement in what she was accomplishing. Excitement in what was going to happen. Excitement on what this means for her career. Excitement that she would finally get back the reputation that she _so deserved_. And she planned on feeding that excitement as soon as possible.

She stopped in her tracks, realizing what door she stood in front of now. With the dimming light, casting a glare on the curviture of the hallway, she could see a doubledoor, some rust on it, and two circular glass windows. Was this one of Von's labs? She recalled that he had a few rooms. He hardly used most of them. Then again, this building did used to have plenty of employees working. She frowned, wondering for a split second how Von was able to afford to keep this place up and running. _Eh_, oh well. She shrugged. It didn't matter.

She was about to walk away when a thought struck her. She wondered if the test results had come back in. Perhaps it had. She turned her attention back to the lab. She stared at it for a few seconds. While it wasn't really any of her business, and while she could just walk away without really knowing any of this stuff, something about the room piqued her interest. Unable to resist for long, she walked in. She took a few steps in and looked around.

She could see a few rows of long tables, most of which were covered in dust. She could see a few vials of different things. Probably chemicals and such. There were some microscopes that were placed in a few tables, a chalkboard, and she was certain she saw what looked to be a teacher's desk. She knew it wasn't, but she wasn't sure what else to call it.

She walked closer, moving up and down the rows. She looked at the different equipment and vials and other things that were there. Quite fascinating. She wondered briefly what kind of results the old man got with these, what discoveries he might have made. She soon shook her head. That wasn't important. All that was... were those test results regarding the zoner.

The results would show that he was indeed made of chalk. And anyone who saw him, watched him enough, they would know that he was alive. They would not doubt just how real he was, and no one would truly make fun of her again.

Despite her earlier actions, and what appeared to be concern for the zoner, like when Von had used the water on him, she was only worried about losing a specimen; it wasn't like she really cared too much about the zoner himself. Neither did Von. _Why should they_? He might be alive, but that didn't mean he was _anything_ like humans. He was drawn and created. He could always be recreated. Any zoner could be made very quickly, could they not? If anything, zoners could be put to something useful, like expendable labor, or something along those lines.

Of course, Rudy and Penny might argue against that. She wouldn't doubt it. They were little selfish brats who had been hogging the world to themselves for far too long. They didn't truly understand the way the world works, or what zoners really were. They were _just kids_ after all; how could they possibly see reality for what it _truly_ was?

No matter... They'll get a wake up call sooner or later. For now, she should focus on looking for those results. She couldn't wait to see what they were. Further evidence to prove her point, and to gloat to those children when the time came.

She didn't see anything at first, besides the various equipment and test tubes and different liquids. She began to wonder if this was the room where he kept the results. She turned her head from side to side, scanning the room. She narrowed her eyes in disappiontment. Perhaps they weren't here after all. She began to turn, preparing to walk away.

Then something caught her eye. She turned her head a little to get a better look. She noticed that one of the drawers on the large desk was slightly open. She shifted her gaze from side to side, looking to see if Von were anywhere nearby. She then turned around and walked toward the desk.

Once she reached it, she grabbed onto the edge with her finger tips and pulled it out more. Inside, she found some stacks of paper that appeared to be about a foot thick. Some papers had some rubberbands around them while others were stapled or had clips. She began to skim through them, looking around to see what had been placed in the dresser.

She soon found one that looked promising. It had no title, but it appeared to have some results regarding Blocky. There were a couple mentions of the word 'zoner' and the name 'Blocky'. She grabbed this paper and pulled it out. She carried it over to one of the nearby chairs and sat down in it. She removed the clip and began to turn the pages, reading the contents of what these loose leaf papers held.

For a while, it was nothing interesting. Just detailing how he took the blood, the results of a couple of experiments, stuff like that. But then something caught her eye. There was a passage that read:

'**I recently took blood from the zoner. He put up quite a fight, but that was to be expected. As I stored the blood for later testing, I eventually began to wonder something. I was still so curious on how the zoners could possibly be alive if they were made of chalk. I think I figured out something, and if I'm right, this is going to be much bigger than I had imagined it.'**

Terry blinked at this, rereading the small passage over and over again. Now she was starting to become curious. _Just how were the zoners alive_? She had chalked it up to magic. After all, Rudy did call the white stick 'magic chalk', right? Maybe it had special properties that rought these things to life. That would explain why these lowly, non-organic things could possibly even exist, let alone be alive.

She read more more of the papers, narrowing her eyes softly as she tried to see if there was anything else the man wrote down. At first, there was nothing. At least, no conclusion regarding why zoners could be alive. The man might have had some ideas, yet none of them were listed here. She wasn't sure why, and it was frustrating. She could feel a burning sensation in her stomach as she became more and more curious on what the answer was going to be. _If they figured out how zoners were alive_...she could only just imagine what this could lead to. _Proper control_ of the little creatures.

Finally, she found something that continued on with that thought process of the man. Giving a small smile, and doing her best to control her excited emotions, she read on.

This passage said:

'**Just as I thought.. I knew staying here overnight was going to pay off. I didn't tell Ms. Bouffant. I didn't want her disturbing me. I needed my full concentration on these tests. Normally, they took a while, but with my dedication and focus, I was able to get results faster, and what I found was rather...interesting.**

**It turns out I was correct. You see, I believed I had thought of something that connected zoners to humans, at least, in the way they were alive. I wasn't entirely sure and thought that maybe it was just poppycock. I wanted to see if I was right, somehow, so I ran some tests overnight. I compared my blood to Blocky's, managing to see the internal structure. And what's when I was able to confirm my hunch.**

**Zoners are carbon-based lifeforms, just like we humans are. It is true, some structure still differientiates. But chalk itself, at least the ones used for chalkboards, are made from something that has carbon in it. This might help explain how zoners are alive. They have some of the same internal building blocks of life that we have.**

**There's more. When comparing the blood, save for a few changes, it was nearly indistinguishable from my own. I was able to see red blood cells, plasma, white blood cells, platelets, everything. They all functioned the same way, responded the same way. Really, the only true difference was a few adjustments gave the skin and fluid a chalky texture.**

**I am curious to find out just how zoner bodies don't fall apart, but my theory is that the chalk isn't pure chalk, but altered. It still carries some properties of chalk, like weakness to water, but it also carries some strengths similar to what is found in..what the zoners say.. the Real World. Blocky, for instance, his structure still retains the strength of flesh. The chalk still has properties that allow it to breathe, eat, sleep, and whatever else, and thus is, more or less, more durable than Real World chalk. But he would still die if he comes in contact with Real World water, as that probably breaks apart the weak points, and destroys it.**

**I am not entirely sure yet. But I believe I opened up the doors to truly understanding these zoners. If my theory is right, and if I find further proof, I may have just discovered an alternate evolutionary line of carbon-based lifeforms, and have explained how the zoners are alive and how they are, in a way, related to us.'**

Terry nearly dropped the papers at this. Her arms felt weak. Her eyes widened. She remained still, save for a few shakes. She stared down at the paperwork after she read those paragraphs. No words came out of her. It was just dead silent.

It couldn't be possible..._right_? No, the man must be wrong. He was just crazy, trying to think of whatever he could. The zoners were alive by magic. That was all. That's all it could be. She tried to push it in the back of her mind. She tried to dismiss it, reminding herself that zoners were just mere chalk drawings and nothing more.

_But the words_...they wouldn't leave her. They continued to plague her. Even when she shut her eyes and tried to block it out, it would not work. The words appeared in her head over and over, reminding her of what she had just read and seen. Reminding her that what she thought about zoners...may not have been true after all...

The zoners were..._carbon-based_..? They were much more similar in structure to humans and other organic lifeforms than she thought? She wanted to tell herself it couldn't be true...yet she did know that chalk was carbon-based in some way. Structured differently, but still carbon.

Well _so what_...? A lot of things were made of carbon and not all of them were alive. For all she knew, this just meant that the zoners were nonliving things that could somehow move and emulate life. Yeah, that was probably all they were. The scientist did mention that there were alterations in the structure, right? Water moved, and it's not alive. Air moves and it's not breathing.

Maybe zoners were just some advanced form of that. Maybe they were nonliving things that so resembled life that they could uncannily fit in anywhere with things that were truly alive.

But..._all_ living things are made of carbon... Anything that has ever been alive was _carbon based_...

Was she...was she _wrong_...? Were the zoners more alive than she had given credit for? Was she decieving herself this whole time? Could Dr. Von Doktor be correct? She shook her head. No..it couldn't be true. It was impossible. She was just overthinking this. She...

Her eyes widened as she recalled the screams that Blocky emitted. She remembered the looks on Snap and Howdy's faces. The way they interacted, it did feel so real. Well real on a level that she hadn't been willing to admit. She knew they were physically there, and she knew, in some way, they were alive. She realized then that her idea of them being nonliving yet emulating life was ridiculous.

But then...they were _still_ made of chalk. They weren't flesh and blood like her, not in the same way. They were _nothing_ like humans. They were just drawings. That was _all_ they were.

But she still recalled what the man said, about the carbon connection. That still didn't mean much. That still didn't prove there was a strong connection. But the idea that the zoners could truly be carbon-based lifeforms, that they may not be as different from Real World animals and people as she had initially thought, did send a cold chill through her body. _The implications of what that might mean_...

She shook her head. No, she couldn't let herself get worked up over that. Even if the connection were true, even if zoners were carbon-based lifeforms, they were still just drawings. Still inferior life forms that could easily be created and replaced. Their only purpose was to serve and please the creators that gave them life.

After she was able to recollect herself, she placed the paperwork in the drawer and pushed it closed. As soon as she did, she nearly jolted when she heard a voice call out to her.

"_Mizz Bouffant_! What are you doing here?"

Terry looked over. She couldn't help but widen her eyes when she noticed Dr. Von Doktor standing in the doorway, his arms folded against his chest. He didn't look particularly pleased. Giving a small smile, she said, "Oh I was just walking around, trying to clear my head, and I stumbled in here and..."

"Uh uh..." Von said, narrowing his eyes a little futher. "You should have told me zat you wanted to zee ziz lab. I don't like it when people ztick zeir nozez when I did _not_ give permission."

"Oh..sorry." Terry headed towards the door. "I promise I won't do it again."

Von stared at her, giving her something of a skeptical look. A few seconds later, he appeared to have shrugged it off. "If you zay zo..." He began to head down the hallway, Terry not far behind him. "Did you...zee anyzing that interezted you?" Terry lifted up her head and stared at him. "Any rezearch paperz or anyzing like zat?"

Terry froze for a few seconds, struggling to figure out what to say. She wasn't sure how he would react if he found out she read some of his papers without permission. She gave a smile and shook her head. "No. I just looked around for a bit and sat down to relax. That was all."

"Hmm..." Von looked at her over his shoulder. His eye appeared to almost stare through her soul. She did her best to remain calm and not look too suspicious to him. After a moment, he merely shrugged his shoulder and said, "Okay zen."

Relieved that she avoided detection, the woman continued to follow Von through the building. Those previous thoughts returned and started to swirl around her head. She pushed them back, managing to tame them. But for how long? As she walked, she coudn't help but ask herself a question she never thought she would.

_What if she was in the wrong_?

sss

Dr. Von Doktor remained quiet as he headed down the hallway. He listened to the footsteps of Terry as she followed not far behind him. Keeping his head turned away from her so she could not see, he gave a soft frown, narrowing his eyes.

He wasn't sure if he could really believe her. Although she sounded sincere, just something about it felt..._off_. He had no idea how long she had been in the room, either. She might have had time to read through his stuff and figure out his discovery. She may have learned that the zones may be carbon-based just like they were.

And if she _did_ know, and she _did lie_...

He growled softly, almost inaudibly, as this crossed his mind. He wasn't sure why Terry would lie about that. They were on the same team, right? There was no reason for her to hide anything from him.

Why would she lie about that? Why would she tell him that she saw nothing, when in fact she did? It wasn't like knowing what he found out would change anything...right?

Or maybe it did.

The man already was uncertain of Terry before, but now those doubts were coming back to him. Terry's behavior seemed a little odd, now that he thought of it. He wasn't even sure how to explain it to himself. It just felt...different somehow. _And the tone of her voice_... It sounded almost like she...like she was...

.._having doubts_.

He narrowed his eyes at this. He had no idea if that was true, and Terry hadn't really tried anything to make him believe that. There was when she attacked him to get Blocky out, but she had just wanted to make sure that their test subject didn't die. And she didn't have any kind of strange aura to her then that made him wonder if she was going to cause trouble.

But now..that seemed to have changed. Terry's tone of voice was a little..._hesitant_. And the way she moved, the look in her eyes, he wondered if she had read something she regretted, or saw something that made her do a doubletake. It was possible. If she had learned about zoners being carbon-based, it could be possible that she was having doubts because of that.

That wasn't going to do the mission any good. If Terry took that information the wrong way, then she might become a _threat_. For the moment, Terry still seemed to be more or less on his side, even if she didn't always particularly get along with him. But if there was the possibility that she was hiding something, that those string of doubts were going to pull her in a new direction... Then perhaps he should take action sooner rather than later.

He couldn't afford any delays. He couldn't afford to lose this opportunity of a life time. He wasn't going to allow Terry to ruin that just because she started to have second thoughts. It might be best if he attempted to go solo from now on.

But he couldn't just let her go. She knew _too much_. She knew where the experiments were being conducted. She knew what he was up to, what his plans were. At least some of them. And she did know Rudy and Penny. If she felt gipped by him, then she might go tell the children and even aid them, all just to get back at him.

_No_..he was going to have to _get rid of her_, and not simply by letting her leave. He needed to make sure that she doesn't become a threat later on. And he believed he knew of a way. He won't try right now, but pretty soon, he would lure her to one of his other lab rooms in this building.

And then he would take care of her.


	27. Trappings

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 27: Trappings

_**Oh you poor soul... Look at what you made me do...**_

sss

What bad luck she had today. Well not just her. Penny reminded herself the same would go to Rudy. The two of them had tried to speak to each other, not just about the fight, but about ChalkZone as well.

However, things didn't go as planned. They both barely got a word in edgewise when Reggie came and interrupted them. The large boy wouldn't leave them alone and kept pestering them, taunting them for being '_boyfriend_' and '_girlfriend_'. They tried to leave, but Reggie would just keep following them around, and rarely let them out of his sight.

Penny gritted her teeth at the rather annoying and unfortunate memory. All she and Rudy wanted was a bit of privacy, so they can speak and figure out what they were going to do. And then along comes Reggie and all that went down the drain.

She felt a tingle in her finger as frustration settled in. It was quite difficult to push back the anger and anxiety as she realized that she and Rudy had to, yet again, wait to speak to each other. She would rather not talk in the car; that gave them so little time. The doctor's office wasn't that far away. This was something that she and Rudy needed to talk about in one sitting, not part way and then have it get delayed.

But when would they get another chance? She wasn't sure. She hoped it would be soon. Even though it was going to be hard, not just for her, but for Rudy too, she knew it had to be done. They needed to make amends and then focus on ChalkZone. Maybe after the doctor's appointment, they could find time then. Maybe she could convince her mom to let her go over. She wasn't sure what luck she was going to have, but...she might as well try.

At the moment, she sat in the backseat of the car, like her mother insisted. Sitting down next to her was Rudy. She felt a pang in her chest as she stared at him. The boy was looking at the floor, probably unaware that she was looking at him. Her eyes moved over his body, noting the bandages and bruises. She bit her lip. _Had she really struck him that hard_...?

They were on their way to the doctor's right now. Her mother had recently picked them up. About two minutes ago, actually. She had never felt so glad to see her mom; Reggie was becoming truly grating on her and Rudy.

She didn't know what had gotten into him, anyway. What did he particulary find funny about her and Rudy liking each other? They were just friends, anyway. Wasn't like there was anything all that humorous about it. Oh well. She shrugged. It doesn't matter. It was just Reggie. She had more important things to worry about.

_Like Rudy and ChalkZone_... She longed for the day that everything would go back to the way they used to be. Before all this madness with Terry and Von had taken place. But maybe that was just a dream.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the car suddenly swerved to the side. She grunted as she felt herself being pressed against the door. She yelped when she felt Rudy collide with her, pressing her further against the door. The two children clenched their teeth, shutting their eyes, for a few seconds. When the car eased into a straight line, pulling up into a small parking lot, they leaned away from each other and relaxed, both feeling a sense of relief.

They glanced at each other. They maintained eye contact for a few seconds, looking at each other nervously. They then looked away from each other, making nervous gestures. The brief physical touch couldn't help but remind them of the fight that they had earlier. Especially since the last time they physically touched was when they had _bitten_ each other...

"Come on, you two." Penny heard her mom say. The door opened up and she heard her mother step out. "Let's go. We're nearly late for your appointments."

Ah yeah, their appointments. In the midst of the tension, Penny almost forgot about that. She and Rudy both needed their bites checked, as well as to be sure them punching and kicking each other didn't lead to damage that her mother had missed. She herself needed to make sure the weapon that Howdy used on her didn't have further reaching consequences than she previously thought.

She climbed out of the vehicle and shut the door, timed in such a way that it almost seemed like an echo to Rudy's. They both walked out towards the building, where her mother was. She opened up the door and gestured for them to go in first.

Rudy and Penny once again looked at each other. They stared at one another like this for a few seconds before her mother clearing her throat prompted them to go into the building. Penny heard her mother shut the door behind them and the three walked down the small hallway, towards a door on the side. Her mother opened that one too, ushering the children in first. Penny couldn't help but wonder if her mother was doing what she could to keep her and Rudy within sight of each other.

The three of them headed towards the first seats they saw in the small waiting room after they had signed in. Her mother took the edge seat while she sat next to her mom, and Rudy sat a seat away from her. She felt a pang of disappointment and she couldn't help but look over at him sadly. Not like she could blame him for being nervous, though.

"No, Rudy. You sit over here." Her mom said, giving Rudy a soft glare. "This isn't a large facility. Don't be taking seats away from other patients."

Rudy didn't say a word to her, nor did he look at her. He gritted his teeth, giving a soft grunt. Penny was not able to determine what this meant. Slowly, reluctantly, Rudy slid over into the chair next to her. He kept his body leaned away from her, careful not to touch her, careful not to trigger that tension and fear they both experienced earlier.

_The fear to touch one another_... Penny hoped that they would be able to get over that fear soon. She hoped that they would be able to reestablish their friendship and mend the trust between them.

She leaned back in her chair and stared up towards the clock. Her mom wasn't exactly correct when she said they were running late. There was still some time. Maybe ten or so minutes. That gave her a bit of time to try to talk to Rudy, but...is now _really_ a good time? _No_..too many people around here. She would have to wait.

But the way her mom was looking at her... She recalled her mom wanted her and Rudy to try to speak to each other on the way to the doctor's, which they didn't do, or during the waiting room time, which they weren't right now.

She bit her lip. She turned her head to Rudy. Maybe she should try to speak to him. Maybe she should at least make the attempt. She could apologize for the fight; that didn't really require hiding top secret information from everyone else in the room. Yeah..she couldn't put this off any longer. She..she had to try...

"Rudy, I..." She said as she turned towards her friend. However, she never got a chance to continue as a louder voice talked over her.

"Rudy Tabootie!" Called a feminine voice. Turning her head, Penny could see a tall nurse standing there with the door into the back wide open. "The doctor will see you now."

Rudy looked over at Penny, his expression softened with a tinge of regret. Then he got up from his seat and walked away. Penny watched him leave sadly. So much for that attempt. She hung her head, wondering if they would ever get a chance to speak.

Upon feeling her mother's hand on her shoulder, Penny looked up. Her mom stared down at her sympathetically and said, "Don't worry. You'll get a chance..."

Penny turned her head away. "I hope you're right about." She closed her eyes. "I hope you're right."

"I am. _Trust me_." Her mother said, gently squeezing her shoulder. "Just give it some time."

Penny did her best to be positive. Her mom was right. Even if they couldn't talk now, that didn't mean they never would. She just had to wait. Sooner or later, they would get their chance.

sss

Snap ran as fast as he could. He pushed himself across the ground, pounding his feet to launch himself quicker. He looked out in front of him, trying to see if he could see any sign of Rapsheeba or Howdy. He didn't know how long he had waited, or how much of a head start that they had. So he just kept running, hoping that he would run into one of them soon.

He couldn't believe he took so long to figure out an answer. He wanted to slap himself in the face for not coming to this conclusion faster. He should have known there was really one answer.

With Rudy and Penny unable to come, with them not able to set foot inside ChalkZone, Snap realized that Rapsheeba had been right. They didn't have all that time. He doubted that Terry and Von would consider leaving Blocky alive for that long. For all he knew, they would likely finish him off after he had been 'used up'. _Then they might try to come into ChalkZone next_... Waiting for Rudy and Penny may only result in disaster. There was little reason to believe that those two humans would do nothing for five days.

He still hated the idea. He still wasn't sure how well thought out a plan it was. He didn't even know if there was a plan that Rapsheeba had in mind, or if she was just acting on pure instinct. But in the end, he realized, after some long thinking, that Rapsheeba did have the right idea, and that they should mobilize and try to rescue Blocky.

_Poor Blocky_... Snap bit his lip as he remembered the condition his friend was in. He had no idea what state he would be in after they came back for him. He had no idea how he would recover from this... or if he would at all. What if Blocky became _permanently scarred from this_? What if he wouldn't _survive_? A cold chill rushed through his body at that thought. He wanted to believe that everything would be okay, but deep down even he knew just how wrong everything could go...

He couldn't let himself fall into despair, however. He couldn't allow himself to become consumed with such thoughts. As hopeless as it seemed, as terrifying the idea of going into the Real World to mount a rescue mission frightened him, what with all the humans could do to them, he still tried his best to remain positive. Things might turn out better than he had expected. He'd never know until he tried.

Up ahead, he started to see a couple of retreating forms. He squinted his eyes, trying to see if he could figure out who it was. Upon realizing that it was Rapsheeba and Howdy, he called out their names, increasing the speed of his running.

"Hey! Howdy! Rapsheeba! _Wait up_!" He cried.

The two figures stopped. They turned and looked behind them. Their eyes widened in shock and pleasured surprise as they saw him running towards them.

"Snap my man, did you change your mind?" Rapsheeba asked once Snap got close enough.

The blue superhero stopped in front of them for a few moments. He put his hands on his knees, gripping them gently. He panted heavily as he tried to regrain his breath. His throat felt dry and his legs were weakened after all that running.

After he caught his breath, he said, "Yeah...I did..." He smiled at the two zoners. "I'm just...sorry it took me so long."

"Don't worry about it. At least you're here now!" Howdy said. Snap was impressed with how brave he sounded. Despite the fear of what the city thought of him now, and despite the horrors that he had seen, he was still trying to be courageous.

"Yeah. With your help, we're sure to win." Rapsheeba said.

Although Snap felt flattered that Rapsheeba had so much confidence in him, that alone wasn't going to win this fight. Snap could not allow himself to get too overconfident; that just might come back to bite him in the rear end.

They had to be careful. They were going to have to read lightly in the Real World. They would need to be aware of their surroundings at all times. They would have to make sure that Terry and Von have no access to any liquids, and to no chalkboard either. The Real World fluids thing was obvious, but he just realized that Terry and Von, if they knew what a chalkboard was capable of, might use it to their advantage and threaten them into submission. And unfortunately, there were a few chalkboards in that laboratory that he remembered seeing, not just the one that he and Howdy originally entered from...

Well he was certain that, once they gathered some trustworthy zoners and met up somewhere and talked, someone would be able to figure out a plan. This was going to be one of their most dangerous missions yet. Extreme caution and deep planning was required for this. They would have to give this their all.

Snap broke the silence, clearing his throat to make sure that he still had his friends' attention, and also to make sure he didn't slip up his question. "So...what did you two have in mind?"

Rapsheeba was the first one to respond. "Howdy and I are going to head into the city and call a meeting. We will explain to the zoners about what we found out and propose the plan to go to that portal to rescue Blocky."

"What if the zoners _aren't_ happy to see you?" Snap asked. He was careful not to bring up the thing with Howdy. The poor guy must already be worried enough. Besides, both of them knew of that possibility; his expression alone was enough to convey that message.

"I'm certain there will be resistance. I am fully prepared to handle the remarks I am sure to get." Howdy said. "However, I think their reaction towards me will lesson quickly once they find out that I have information they could use to help defend their home." Howdy paused for a moment. He then continued, "While I know some of the zoners will not be happy to encounter me, I'm sure that their desire to protect their home from these human intruders would be of a higher priority on their list."

"Yeah, that's true..." Snap had to admit it, but Howdy did make a good point there. "I'm sure they'll jump at the chance at helping to stop Terry and Von. Some of them are brave like that. "He clenched his teeth. "Some _stupidly_ so..."

"_Snap_..." Rapsheeba said, narrowing her eyes at Snap.

Snap lowered his head slightly. "Yeah, I'm sorry." He realized he should have been a little more sensitive with what he said. Wanting to move on quickly, he said, "Do you have any ideas, queenie?" He held up his hand in gesture. "I mean, I know you are going to call a meeting and all, but..." He paused for a moment, trying to think of how to word his question. "But...do you have any ideas of your own?"

Rapsheeba stared at him. She tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm...well..I admit I didn't think that far ahead.."

Snap widened his eyes. "You _didn't_?"

Rapsheeba shook her head. "Why do you think I'm calling a meeting? I'm sure one of the zoners would be able to think of something."

"Yeah. There's a lot of zoners in the city." Howdy said. Yeah, that was an understatement. Snap knew just how packed the city was. "One of them is bound to know...something that we could try. I mean...rushing in isn't going to work." Making a gesture with his hand towards Snap and then himself, he added, "I mean...you and I aren't exactly strangers to that. We both saw what those two humans are _capable of_...and why it is important to think of a plan first."

Snap was glad to hear that his two friends weren't going to just rush into things like he had feared earlier. They both understood the importance of a plan, and to think out a strategy before they rushed headlong into the Real World. This would give them a better chance when they have to confront Terry and Von, and rescue Blocky from his imprisonment.

Yet _how_ they were going to pull it off... he wasn't sure. He had hoped that one of them would have thought of something already. Something that could give them an edge when going to the portal. Snap himself hadn't thought of anything yet, and the fact that neither did his friends...that left a nervous feeling in his stomach, making him bite his lip hard.

He wasn't too keep on the idea of letting the other zoners decide. It sounded good at first...until he realized just how _gun-ho_ some of the zoners would be in stopping the humans. They might think that rushing in without rhyme or reason was the best route to go, or they would be so consumed by anger and fear, that they'd rush over without thinking, and then get themselves caught. Snap would never forgive himself if more zoners were caught when he could have prevented it.

He realized that they were going to need a voice of reason. Someone to be present at the meeting, who could keep the crowd under control. Someone who has had experience with less than friendly creators.

And he knew just the one.

_Biclops_.

Snap gestured to his two friends. They looked at him, waiting for him to speak. "_Come along! This way_!"

"Uh..but Snap..." Howdy spoke up. His voice was tinged with uncertainty. "That's...not the right way."

"Yeah... The city is this way. Where do you think you're going?" Rapsheeba sounded just as confused.

Snap paused and looked towards his friends. He realized he didn't really explain to them where he wanted them to go. He said, "We're going to the Chalk Mine to get Biclops."

"What? _Why_?" Asked Rapsheeba.

"Because he knows creators better than most zoners. And he's one of the largest zoners in the immediate area. He would be able to ensure that none of the zoners get too crazy and try to go to the portal themselves. And since he dealt with creators in the past, he might have some knowledge on how to combat them."

Rapsheeba and Howdy looked at each other, their eyes widening in realization. They both appeared to realize that Biclops would be of a huge help here.

Snap recalled their initial meeting, and at times, it still unnerved him. Biclops had been more violent back then, almost maniacal. He had been mentally scarred by the actions of those past creators, and he had projected it into him and Rudy. However, as unsettling as the memory was, it did remind Snap how helpful Biclops could be in this situation. His experience with dealing with a world where creators could move about freely.. _yes_, surely Biclops would have some knowledge on how to handle creators.

With a single nod of his friends' head, and a look at their expressions, no words needed to be spoken for Snap to know that they agreed with his decision. It was settled: they were going to the Chalk Mine.

The three friends veered off away from the city, which could be seen in the distance, and headed towards where the Chalk Mine would be. Snap hoped that Biclops would be willing to come to the meeting. Yeah he'd have to leave the mine unguarded for a little while, but perhaps he could find another zoner to take his place for a short time. The meeting wouldn't take that long, right?

sss

Penny flinched slightly as the doctor shoved a bottle of medicine into her hands. She looked down at it, peering at the label and expected usage of the stuff.

"I want you to take this once every day." The doctor said, her voice stern, almost cold. The aura of emotionless professionalism. Penny did her best not to let it get to her. "Make sure to take it with food or water. This should take care of the inflamation in your body, and kill any infections you might have. Do you _understand_?"

Penny nodded her head once. "Yes, ma'am."

The doctor smiled, although Penny could tell it was fake. "Good. You are dismissed." She moved Penny towards the door. "Mrs. Sanchez..." She addressed her mom this time, who was standing near the doorway. "You may go sign out there. I expect you to call me to give me any updates on how your daughter is doing."

"I _will_." Penny heard her mom say. There was some kind of emotion laced in there, but she couldn't quite identify it. "Come along now, Penny." She reached over, grabbed Penny's head, and left the room.

Penny was glad to be out of there. Her usual doctor wasn't available, so instead she got this one. She wasn't really mean or anything, but her _whole attitude was just_... It was as if she had seen so many heartwrenching patients that she just became desensitized to it. Penny felt rather uncomfortable around her. The woman's cold professionalism did little to help her feel better, and she couldn't help but wonder if the female doctor was blaming her for getting hurt.

Well...that wouldn't be too surpising, considering that she had to explain to her that she was electrocuted, and had to come up with a ridiculous story of how she, one of the highest ranking students in her class, could have made such a terrible blunder. Still, she wished the doctor didn't act that way around her. She felt bad enough; she didn't need _more_ encouragement.

Oh well, at least it was over now. She followed her mom as they headed towards the counter that the doctor had indicated. As her mom was filling out the paperwork required, Penny turned her head and happened to see Rudy going towards the exit. His appointment must be over already.

Penny wanted to call out to him, but she refrained, pulling her hand away. Now wasn't the place for a talk. They can wait later. Plus, she still wasn't entirely sure of how she was going to start her apology. She still needed a bit of time.

When her mother was done, hearing the sound of the pen and paper being dropped, Penny looked up at her mother. "Hey mom? Can I go over to Rudy's? Or can he come over to ours?"

Her mom stared down at her for a few seconds. Then she asked, "Why? You two had plenty of time to chat."

"Well yes, but... I think it'd be best if we talked in private." Penny raised her hands at her sides. "I mean, the school wasn't exactly private, and neither is a doctor's office." She settled her arms at her sides. Noticing her mom's expression, she added, "And we didn't have a lot of time in the car. The doctor's office isn't that far away from where we live. After what we did to each other..." Penny closed her eyes and sighed. "We...we are going to need more time."

For a few moments, there was no response. Penny wasn't sure if she upset her mother somehow. She dismissed it, believing that her mom was just trying to think of an answer for her. Keeping silent, giving her mom the time that she needed to respond, she followed her towards the door. They were quickly joined by Rudy, who appeared a little anxious to get home.

In silence, the trio went towards the car to prepare to leave. Her mom unlocked the door and she and Rudy climbed into the backseat. She did her best to ignore the tension of being so close to him. She tried to ignore how he was doing what he could to avoid touching her. She tried to push back the sensation of guilt, reminding herself that, soon, it would all be over and they could move past _this_.

Her mom turned the car and they began to drive down the road. All the while, as they passed the street signs, and the lights, they were silent, not saying a word to each other. The silence weighed down on Penny's shoulders, creating a fog of tension around her.

As they began to take another turn, heading down a new street, Penny's mom spoke up. "Rudy, do you want to come over to visit, instead of going back to your parents' place? I can call them when we get back and arrange it if you'd like."

Penny stared over at Rudy with a sideways glance. She tried not to influence his decision. She wanted him to come over on his _own_ accord, not because she made him _feel_ like he had to.

Rudy glanced at her for a few moments, their eyes locking onto one another. He bit his lip, his eyes filling with nervousness. He looked away, pointing his gaze towards the ground. He shifted his eyes from left to right. He looked as if he was having a hard time deciding. The longer he struggled to think, the more nervous he seemed. And each time he looked at her, he appeared to grew more and more anxious.

At first, it looked as though he was going to decline. Penny tried to ignore the pang of disappointment clinging in her chest. Despite how she felt, she knew it was up to Rudy to decide if he wanted to come over or not. After all, they wouldn't really be able to properly discuss anything if she tried to _force_ him to come.

At last, Rudy appeared to regain his voice. Afther he cleared his throat a few times, he said, "S-Sure..."

"All right then." Penny's mom said. "I'll call your parents when I get back so they know where you are."

A small smile spread along Penny's face. She was happy that Rudy decided to come over. As scared as she was, she still looked forward to trying to settle things with her friend. The longer they put this off, the worse it was going to get.

But that wasn't the only thing they had to concern themselves with. There was still ChalkZone's safety, _and their missing friend_... She sucked on her lip, feeling her gut sting as she realized that Blocky had been gone for days, and Terry and Von had the portal for days. She had no idea what kind of threats now await them, or what Terry or Von had been able to accomplish in that amount of time. They needed to figure out something, and fast.

She hated to imagine what would happen if they failed. She hated to imagine the disaster that lay before ChalkZone. She knew that, if ChalkZone were exposed, Vinnie's zoner enslavement for his amusement park was going to be the _last_ of their worries.

sss

"All right, time to eat."

Terry couldn't believe she was stuck with feeding a zoner again. But Von didn't really want to partake in it. He insisted that he go and look at his studies some more, perhaps revise some of his original ideas for the zoners. He also wanted to figure out if there were any further tests that could be made, or if they should just get on with the dissection, whether it be with Blocky or someone else.

The idea of dissection didn't bother her initially. But after discovering the zoners' possibility of being carbon-based, which would bring them _closer_ to Real World lifeforms than she originally thought, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

She shook it out of her head. She didn't let it distract her, and thankfully, the feeling was, largely, fleeting. Even if he was carbon-based on some level, Blocky was _still_ a creation, _not_ something _naturally born_, and he wasn't human. He was _just_ an _animal_. With that in mind, she was able to refocus her thoughts on feeding Blocky, rather than thinking of her own personan conflicts with the situation.

Terry opened up the glass enclosure. Blocky rested on his back. He stared up at her. His dulled eyes were still bright in fear, and he shivered at her presence. Terry ignored this and reached down. She pulled Blocky out and carried him over towards the table. Might as well feed him here rather than at the cafeteria.

Laying Blocky on the table, she removed the small bag that she had slung over her shoulder. She pulled out one of the few remaining bottles of chalk water that Howdy had given her. Along with that, she also took out a small thing of chalk soup. It appeared to be one of the microwavable kind. She didn't want to waste time heating it up, though, and it was still edible cold anyway. She pulled back the lid and, taking out a plastic spoon, scooped up a spoonful.

"_Open your mouth_." Terry commanded.

Blocky simply stared at her, whimpering softly. She growled at this. She wished he didn't overreact this way. It wasn't like she was trying to hurt him or anything.

"_I said open your mouth_!" She called to him, this time in a louder voice.

Upon seeing that the wild animal was not going to cooperate, Terry took matters into her own hands. Holding him down by his head, gripping it tightly, she brought the spoon over towards his mouth. Without bothering to plan the move carefully, she shoved the spoon into the zoner's mouth. The resulting force splashed soup onto his face, some of it getting into his left eye. He squirmed and whimpered loudly in response.

Pull the spoon away and listening to the zoner struggle to swallow, Terry shook her head. "That's what you get for being _uncooperative_." She raised the spoon up into the air, moving it slightly back and forth in her fingers. "I hope you take this as a lesson and you work with me instead of being such a _big crybaby_."

Blocky swallowed, coughing a few times as he choked. "Y-Yes, m-m-ma'am..."

"Good zoner..." Terry hissed, gritting her teeth. She scooped another spoonful of soup and moved it wards the zoner. "Now...eat up."

Blocky stared at her, his mouth partially open. He still looked reluctant to continue eating the soup. Terry narrowed her eyes and was about to push the spoon back into his mouth when he slowly opened his mouth wider. Smiling at this show of submission, she inserted the spoon, this time more gently. A way of showing him that she can be gentle so long as he cooperated with her.

Without much further resistance, Terry continued to feed the zoner. Save for a few coughs here or there, she didn't have any further trouble with him. Spoonful after spoonful, she delivered the food to him, and he ate it without attempting to fight back. His left eye squinted from the soup getting in, but that soon stopped, the soup droplets no longer causing a problem for him.

Soon she was done. The zoner ate the entire cup of soup. She pulled it away and looked down at it. This outta keep him fed for a while. She might feed him again later today, although she and Von did decide to only feed them once per day to keep the food rations going.

She tossed away the barbage and glanced down at the bottle of water. Did she really need to use this on him now? Probably not. There was _plenty_ of fluid in that soup. That should keep the zoner hydrated for a while. He didn't really need the water right now. Yeah, she'll give it to him later. Perhaps in at night, before she left the building to go home.

After she felt she had wasted enough time with the zoner, she returned him to his cage, dropping him in like it was nothing. She ignored his cries of pain ignored the sensation of guilt as she did so, and walked away from the room. She looked over her shoulders and, giving a small smile, she said, "Have a _nice_ nap." She shut off the light and left the room.

As she walked down the hallway, heading towards the cafeteria so she can get a bite to eat as well, she couldn't help but stop in her tracks. She turned her head, looking back towards the door. A part of her felt..._reluctant_ to leave Blocky _alone_. She started to wonder if she should...

_Oh what was she thinking_? This was Blocky she was talking about. A zoner. Who cares if he was left alone? He could handle a few hours on his own. They left him alone at night all the time. Well granted he had been with his friends lately, and they were both gone...but still, they left him alone before. So why should she feel _any_ different about this time?

She shook her head. She realized she was starting to become soft. And it was worsened by that blasted research paper that she read. She gripped her face, gritting her teeth. The feelings that arose from that began to cloud her over, creeping through her body like some kind of infection. She hoped that Dr. Von Doktor doesn't get word of this. He would never let her live it down. Her reputation suffered enough. Now she was developing an attachment for a creature that wasn't even... _Oh what was wrong with her_?

But she just couldn't help herself. She couldn't help but wonder if she was in the wrong, if what she was doing was right, if there was more to this than she had imagined. The carbon-based thing seemed to push this thought process forward, and she began to wonder if Blocky truly wasn't as different as she thought, that perhaps she wasn't imagining it.

She thought back to how he acted while she was feeding him. Why did she feel guilty about that? All she did was give him food. But..she _did_ feed him in the _worst_ position possible. _On his back_. And she wasn't exactly gentle with him initially. The way he looked at her, it sort of reminded her of a scared child. She sucked on her lip as she made that connection. A sweeping sting spread through her stomach, and, for a moment, she became.._conflicted and confused_.

She managed to make the thoughts subside for the most part. There was still a somewhat chilling sting that she was feeling as the doubts started to grow stronger. She shook her head and started her walk. Maybe she didn't clear her mind enough. Maybe she was just hungry and her mind was confused. Yeah..that was probably all it was. She headed towards the cafeteria to get a bite to eat.

sss

Blocky laid on the ground, unable to stop his trembling. He tried to clear out his throat more. The earlier time when he nearly choked still got to him. It didn't help that he could still feel the spoon in his mouth, painfully pressing against his gums and lips. He tried to settle himself down, reminding himself of the fact that he was alone now. Terry could not bother him anymore.

But..being alone wasn't exactly a thrill, either. His mind was racing as he looked around, realizing that he was all alone, just like he was on the day he was brought here. The old fears from those days came back, magnetized, clouding over him. His body shook harder, unable to stop the whimpers from eminating from his mouth. He shut his eyes, trying to block out what was going on, where he was. He tried to, for a few moments, forget about his predicament, and think happier thoughts.

Yet any attempt to think more positively was washed out by his current memory. The negative emotions and memories were certainly more powerful, _easily_ destroying _any_ positivity he tried to find in his predicament.

He couldn't even remember how long he had been here. His fear and terror blocked out any memory of time passing. He was only aware of being here for more than one day. But how long has it been? Days or weeks, or even _months_? He shivered at the thought, and he found himself curling up into a small ball. He tried to at least keep his emotions tame, to not allow himself to be consumed by fear. A hard task, but he was getting sick of being terrified all the time. It was becoming exhausting, and he could feel it tear himself apart on the inside.

The negative emotions swirling in his stomach felt as if they were burning a hole through his internal organs. The cold chill creeping along his skin as he was unable to stop imagining himself being placed in another experiment...that made him feel as though his skin would turn to ice and crack, spilling out his insides. And his trembling and his teeth chattering... He was amazed that he didn't exert the remainder of his strength from doing that.

He moved himself a little more, but then stopped, a shockwave of pain moving through his body. He got a painful reminder of the horrors that he had been put through. His head still ached from the extreme temperature experiments he was forced into. His body still stung from the burns. His side still raged in agony from being melted and cut into. His entire being was racked in pain, making it hard for him to move around too much, which forced him on his back most of the time. The most comfortable position at the moment.

He clenched his teeth as he tried to endure the painful stomach ache. It radiated through his underside, making him want to clutch it, only to stop himself when he realized that would be even more painful. He was forced to lay there and hope that it passes.

As it continued to spread, he started to feel a sense of nausea settle in. He tightened his lips together, swallowing nervously. He hoped that he wouldn't end up vomiting up his stomach contents. He knew full well that he would not eat again after this, at least not until the next day. Given his condition, this was _not_ something that he could afford. And then there were his captors. They'd probably find reason to _punish_ him if they walked in and his stomach had been emptied.

He struggled to keep it in. He fought against the growing sensation, managing to place a hand against his mouth as he tried to push it back, tried what he could to keep the food in his mouth.

But it was becoming a useless task. He could feel his heart beating against his chest. He could feel a sense of dread spreading through him, leaving him in a state of a cold chill. He squirmed on the ground, curling his body inward, ignoring the pain this caused him. He clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes widening at the sensation of something pushing through his stomach.

_No...please no_... He couldn't let this happen... He had to fight back. He had to keep the contents in. He...

It was _no use_. His body's will was too powerful. His mouth salivating uncontrollably, he opened his mouth and he vomited.

For a few seconds, the enclosure echoed with the sounds of his retching. He couldn't stop, no matter how hard he tried. He heaved heavily as he continued to empty the disgusting, foul-smelling contents from his stomach. His body shook immensely at the force of the vomiting. Soon, his retching turned into dry heaves, and after a little more fluid came out, he stopped. He collapsed on the ground near the foul-smelling stuff, unable to move very far from it.

The glass enclosure filled with the horrible stank of the stuff. The mere smell of it wanted to make him barf some more, but he had nothing more to give. He was disgusted when he saw that he could make out details of his very recent meal. He let out a loud groan and, after a few seconds, slammed the side of his head against the ground, shutting his eyes tightly.

_Oh where was Snap_? Where was _Howdy_? He...he didn't want to be alone anymore. He wanted to be with his friends. _Why_ weren't they back yet? They..they didn't _abandon_ him, _did they_? They didn't decide to turn tail to save their own butts, right?

_No_..that wouldn't be like them. He knew that neither of them would purposely abandon him like this. They'd come back for him. They would pull through.

But what if they _didn't_? What if the reason they weren't coming was because they ran into trouble? Maybe Von and Terry decided to get rid of them. No, not very likely...but _what of Skrawl_? Or the other ChalkZone villains? What if they did something? What if Snap and Howdy were in _danger_ somewhere else? What if no one finds them? What if no one finds him?

Blocky let out a soft whimper at this. The pain of what he had gone through, and the powerful emotion that accompanied it swirled in his head, giving him a headache, a chill rising through his spine. The fact that he had no idea how long that he had left, if he would ever escape, or if he'd see his friends again left him in a state of growing fear and depression. The hope for a rescue had started to diminish, and at the realization that he could very well die here, tears formed in his eyes.

_Howdy... Snap... Rudy... Penny... Rapsheeba... Everyone else_... Would he be able to see any of them again? Would he be able to return to ChalkZone? Would he be able to set foot on ground that wasn't Real World ever again?

The more he thought about it, the more he began to realize that it may never happen. His tears welled up further, and he began to feel the slick wetness move down his cheeks. He curled himself into a tighter ball. He tried to ignore the horrible smell, tried to resist any temptation to throw up further, despite how much the fear and horror was twisting up his stomach. Unable to hold it back any longer, he shut his eyes and began to sob, his body trembling from emotion.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor had finished up gathering what he needed to pull off what he needed to. He still needed some more time, and he needed to plan out how to pull it off. He knew the _consequences_ if he did this poorly. The idea of doing this to another human being was _unsettling_...but when it came to progress, to gaining understanding, he couldn't afford any mishaps. Terry was becoming a nuisance and he needed to fix this problem.

He doubted that he could get her to change. She was quite a stubborn woman, who appeared to always insist that she was right and that he was wrong. She interfered with his experimentations, even knocking him out, which he couldn't quite forgive, and she often acted as if she had full authority over what he did. He had wanted to just play along for a while longer, but it was getting to the point where he realized that further action was required, and sooner than he had expected.

He wanted to check on Blocky first. He wanted to see how his..._patient_ was doing. So long as he was still alive, and still of use to him, then he was good. This was important; after he got rid of Terry, he was going to need someone else to give him further information about ChalkZone. Blocky, given his weaker state, seemed to be the best choice for that.

But when he walked into the room, he was surprised and shocked by what he had found. He hadn't expected to see the zoner curled up in a ball, sobbing loudly. The little animal sounded as though he was in a lot of pain, but when he walked around in a circle around the enclosure, he didn't see any new injuries.

However, he did find something that might explain his discomfort. There was a pile of slightly chunky liquid on the ground in front of him. He could smell it from here and he had to cover up his nose. The sight of it caused a million thoughts to race through him.

_What happened to Blocky_? Why did he throw up? Did someone...

Of course... _Terry_... His eyes narrowed as his thoughts grew darker. Yes, Terry was responsible for this. She wanted to try to stop the experiment. She was trying to sabotage him by killing Blocky. She had _poisoned_ him, the bitch.

He formed a fist with both hands, shaking them at his sides. He could feel his veins nearly pop in his head. His teeth grinded, and his pupils shrank into dots. He felt that cold, burning, uncomfortable feeling rise up inside of him. His body began to shake, the anger overtaking him.

He soon forced himself to relax, exhaling the emotion through a single forced breath. His thoughts remain embittered and burning, but now he could focus on what he was going to do.

_So_..Terry tried to one up him, eh? She decided to take away all of his fun...all for her misplaced love for the zoner. Oh she can try to dismiss it all she wanted to. She can try to deny it. But he could see it in her eyes. She was starting to care about the little runt. On a deeper level than just professionalism. As a result, she had truly become a threat.

Perhaps...he should move up the schedule... Yes, that's _exactly_ what he was going to do. He hoped that Terry was having a good time, because all that is about to stop.

sss

Snap smiled the best he could as he stared up at the giant. He folded his arms behind his back, twirling his foot nervously on the ground. He forgot how nervous he could be with the giant without Rudy around, and what he was about to ask isn't something that normally came out of his or his friends' mouths.

Not that Biclops leaving the Chalk Mine was unheard of. He has done it before, like when he came to see the Rudy Tabootie museum, or when he came to him alerting to Rudy being in trouble when he was too busy tormenting Reggie's foot. However, those were rare exceptions, and Biclops never left the caverns for long. Part of it was out of habit; he probably had to spend a lot of time guarding the place back when creators were still around. The other part was just to be safe; while no _ChalkZone_ villain could use the chalk, they could still _destroy_ it, thus leaving Rudy chalkless.

Snap had no idea how Biclops was going to react to his question. He didn't know if he was going to be willing to come with or not. He hoped that he would be able to think of something that could help, but nothing came to mind. And as he found himself in the stare of the giant, he stifled, unsure of just how to begin. The giant was quite intimidating as he glared down at him like this, and Snap cringed, gritting his teeth.

Now he found himself in the shadow of the giant. Neither Rapsheeba nor Howdy said a word. They hung back. Snap had said he would be the first one to speak to him, and they had accepted. Snap knew Biclops better than those two. With such a huge request like this, even he had to admit that he was the better zoner for the job. But that didn't make this any easier.

"Well...?" Biclops asked, folding his arms against his chest. "I'm _waiting_."

"Oh right..." Snap chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. Oh why did this have to be so hard? This shouldn't be this difficult. He had spoken to Biclops before... What made this so difficult now? "Well...I had a question and..."

"I know that. You already told me." Biclops said. "Now...do you mind..." He motioned a hand towards him in gesture. "..tell me what it is? Do you have something..._important_..to tell me?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yes, Biclops."

"Then what it is? I don't have all day, you know." Biclops put his hands on his hips. "I'm going to be late for my exercise routine if you don't tell me what you want. Does Rudy need more chalk? You know my rule on that. He..."

"..must come get it himself. _I know that_." Snap said. He winced as he saw Biclops narrow his eyes. He was clearly not happy about being interrupted. Snap pushed his nervousness aside and managed to say, "Rudy and Penny won't be in ChalkZone for _five days_." Biclops's eyes widened at this. "They got grounded by their family."

"I...see." Biclops said slowly. He was a little unnerved, although not too worried. "Well, ChalkZone will be fine until then, I'm sure." He waved his hand dismissively. "Thank you for telling me, Snap. I'll keep an extra eye out to make sure our resident troublemakers don't start anything."

Snap wished that he could leave it at that. He wished that was all that needed to be done. Alas, that wasn't the case. "_Wait_!" He reached out towards Biclops as he started to turn around. The giant stopped and stared down at him in confusion. "There's _more_, I'm afraid."

Biclops furrowed his eyes with concern. He looked over at Rapsheeba and Howdy, who nodded their heads in agreement to what Snap said. This made him look even more worried and he looked back at Snap. "What is it?"

"We know where the portal is, and where Blocky was taken. In the Real World, it's located in a scientific laboratory, and Blocky has been experimented on. Those two creepazoids, Dr. Von Doktor and Terry Bouffant, had run tests on him to learn more about him. They don't care about Blocky at all. The poor guy is _so weak_..."

"You have to rescue him." Biclops said, cutting into Snap's talking. "Get him back into ChalkZone, erase any evidence those humans got, and close the portal."

"But _without_ Rudy and Penny..." Snap said, raising up his hands. He paused for a moment, letting Biclops absorb this information. He continued, "It will be quite dangerous going into the Real World for many zoners, and we may need a good number to ensure success."

"But more numbers mean that they will have an easier time catching one of you." Biclops warned. "That will give them another zoner to experiment on. They may even try to force information out of said zoner, and they could try to blackmail Rudy and Penny that way." He rubbed the side of his face in a thoughtful manner. "What you will need to do is figure out a way to get Blocky out with the minimal required zoner numbers."

"There's one problem with that. This is in the Real World, Biclops. Remember that." Snap said, pointing a hand in the giant's direction. "They can use their Real World water against us, and even erasers, too. If we don't send enough zoners, then they could _all_ be _killed_!"

"Or at least neutralized in some of the most _painful_ ways possible." Rapsheeba shuddered at the thought.

Howdy hugged his arms to himself. Snap didn't need to ask him to know that the zoner was imagining those horrific scenarios in his head. He sucked on his lip, swallowing nervously. "We...we were hoping that...you'd have some suggestions on how to deal with the humans..."

Biclops raised an eyebrow. "_Me_? How come?"

Snap stared at the giant in confusion. He thought that Biclops would have made the connection by now. Then again, it might have been a while since he last had to confront a human. Rudy was the last one far as he knew, and that was a couple years ago. Maybe Biclops had become so relaxed, that the idea of confronting a human was far from his mind.

This caused a pang to spread through his stomach. If that's the case then... He hoped that Biclops would still be of some help. He hoped that the giant remembered what it was like to confront humans. _If he didn't have that knowledge available for them_...

Well, they could probably still succeed. It would just be more difficult than he had hoped. This was not something they could afford trial and error with. They needed a plan and they needed to get it right the first time. The consequences of failing were much too dire. The damages would be irreversable.

"Biclops, _you_ were there when humans used to come frequently into this world. _Long_ time ago. _Remember_? You told me and Rudy that when we first entered encountered you." Snap said. He remembered that day all too vividly. "You told us about how creators used to run amok and you chased us around because you assumed Rudy would be the same."

Rapsheeba nodded in agreement, but Howdy's eyes were wide in shock. He stared up at the giant with a disbelieving look. "_You did that_?"

Biclops looked down in shame. He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah..I did. I was a _different_ person back then." He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Snap. "I see where you are going with this, but I'm not sure how much help I would be."

"What are you talking about? You'd be a _great_ help!" Howdy said, his previous shock gone from his voice.

"Yeah. I don't know why you think your input wouldn't be valuable." Rapsheeba said. "We could use someone with experience like you!"

Snap nodded his head. He smiled up at the giant, trying to reassure him. He had a feeling that Biclops was simply still feeling shame from his behavior back then and perhaps this talk was reminding him of that. Plus, the old memories of how it used to be so long ago must be getting to him. Those must have been such awful times. Snap could hardly even imagine how dreadful it must have been, _seeing creators destroy left and right_... No wonder the guy had such a sour attitude when they first encountered him.

"Please, Biclops." Snap said, gesturing his hand out towards the giant. "Please, you have to help us. We need all the help that we can get. You're our best chance. You know how to deal with creators."

"_Child_ creators." Biclops said grimly. He shut his eyes and shook his head. "I never dealt with _adult_ creators before..."

Howdy looked left to right. He shrugged his shoulders in confusion. "Aren't they similar?"

Biclops frowned at this and shook his head. "No, they are not. Kids are easier to handle in some areas. They have little experience and don't have as much knowledge of the world. To deal with them, you simply exploit this lack of knowledge and understanding, or even go for their emotions, as children are much easier to scare and terrify than adults." He paused, biting his lip nervously. "I..admit I used some of those techniques to scare away the children."

Snap exchanged looks with his friends. He could only just imagine what it was like for those kids. He had a feeling that what Biclops did to them to frighten them was nothing compared to how he was back then. He turned back to Biclops and said, "I suppose adults are harder because of experience?"

Biclops nodded. "_Exactly_. They know more things, sometimes even more than many of us zoners. They're more calculating and _deliberate_. More cunning and _intelligent_. It is difficult to simply scare them away. And if you aren't careful, you will just lure them back, especially with backup. They have to be handled differently than children. And I hate to say it, but as I said..." He placed a hand against himself. "I have _no_ experience with adults..."

Snap bit his lip. This was _not_ the news that he and the others were hoping to hear. They looked at each other nervously, wondering what they were going to do now. _If Biclops couldn't give them much information_...

No, they could still use his help. Even if it was just children creators he faced off with, and not adults, he still had more knowledge of dealing with creators than any of them did. He would still be a great asset in the upcoming confrontation. Even if Biclops was unsure of himself, Snap knew that any amount of aid from him would help tremendously.

"Biclops...you _still_ know the humans _better_ than any of us. Sure your knowledge might be a little..limiting... But please... You have to try to help us." Snap motioned with his hands towards the outside of the cave. "Come with us to the meeting."

"Meeting?" Biclops asked, staring down at him in confusion. "What meeting?"

Rapsheeba answered this. "I called forth a meeting to discuss plans on rescuing Blocky. With Rudy and Penny gone for a few days, we decided that we cannot just sit around and do nothing. That's too much time those humans have our friend, and way too long for them to have the portal. Who knows what they are going to do with it?"

"We were going to discuss with some zoners on a plan on saving Blocky." Howdy said.

"However, we all realized the problem with that." Snap said. "You see, some of the zoners in the city have gotten... _Antsy_, for the lack of a better word. They would rush in brashly, too quickly. They could get themselves captured or hurt, or even killed. They would likely not sit down and just listen to a plan; as soon as they figured out where the portal was, they'd rush headlong into it."

"I see..." Biclops said. He tilted his head to one side. "Is that part of the reason you want me to go to this meeting?"

Snap didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes. We were hoping that, in addition to your input, you could keep the zoners from rushing to their deaths."

"We don't want to risk losing anybody else." Rapsheeba added. "I don't want any more zoners end up like how Blocky did..."

Howdy flinched at this. "The boy guy was practically torn apart..." He shut his eyes, a few tears streaming from them.

"So what do you say? Can you come join us?" Snap asked, staring up at the giant expectantly.

Biclops stared down at the three. For a few moments, he was quiet, clearly contemplating what his answer was going to be. The three zoners waited patiently, giving the giant time to answer. It took a little while, but Biclops soon spoke again.

"_No_."

Snap widened his eyes, hearing his friends express their shock and disbelief as well. "N-No..? _But Biclops_...You know how important this is and..."

Biclops raised his hand up. "You didn't let me finish. No, I will not go to the meeting. It is too risky to leave the cave. You know I almost never do it unless I leave someone in here in charge, which I rarely do. However..." He folded his arms against his chest. He gave a small smile. "You are more than welcome to bring bring some zoners over _here_ for the meeting."

Snap gave a small gasp at this. He took a step back, staring at the giant in shock. He couldn't believe that he hadn't thought of that idea before. Oh why didn't he think of it? It was so _simple_, yet so _brilliant_. He turned his head to look at his friends, who also stared at him in disbelief, both looking like they wished they thought of that sooner.

Snap looked up at the giant. "R-Really...?"

Biclops nodded his head. "_Certainly_! As long as you keep your hands to yourself and you don't try to take any chalk."

"Of course we don't." Howdy said.

"We are most grateful for your generous offer." Rapsheeba said. "But..how about you help us, not just spectate?"

"Yeah." Snap said. "Would you be willing to give us advice? Please... Any input you have will be most appreciated."

Biclops let out a soft sigh. "Well, all right then..." He raised his head up a little. "I'll...see what I can do."

Snap felt positive emotion well up inside of him. He couldn't help but grin at this. With Biclops's help, and with the zoners' support, he had a feeling that their mission was going to be a success. He wished he could speak to Blocky telepathically. He wanted to tell them that they would soon come for him. And they would take care of Von and Terry. They will torment another zoner no longer.

sss

_No_... Not _now_. Dr. Von Doktor gritted his teeth as he leaned against the wall. He held onto his head as he tried to settle himself down. Thoughts had rushed at him like a tidal wave, questioning what he was about to do.

Would it be right to..._do this_...to Terry Bouffant? He was certain that he wouldn't get caught, that if he planned it out carefully, everything would be okay. He had some time to think about this. Being a scientist, he was able to think of workarounds, and envision several scenarios in his mind until he found one that suited his needs perfectly.

Yet, _why_ was he still hesitant to go after Terry? It wasn't like she was going to leave. She was a part of this plan. She wanted as much to do with ChalkZone as him. She was not aware of what he was going to do. She never acted as if she was suspicious of him. Even when he must have read through his stuff, she didn't really act different enough that suggested that she was turning against him.

_But she was still having doubts_... And those doubts could turn her into an _enemy_ of his... Even if it hadn't appeared to yet, even though she still walked with him, called him an ally, that could soon change, all due to the information that she must have found. Exactly which one that was, he wasn't entirely sure yet. He had his ideas. Learning that the zoners could be carbon-based might have something to do with it.

When he learned that possibility, yeah he was surprised, and it made him realize that the zoners might be closer to human than he and Terry first believed. But unlike her, it seemed, he was able to cast aside his doubts quicker. His scientific mind reminded him that the zoners were still animals, and that he shouldn't feel that bad for them.

He wished that Terry would do the same thing. He wished that she would see that there's little reason to feel guilt, that zoners were still _not_ human, still not worth protecting to that degree. Their only purpose in life was to serve their creators, to serve science, to help him expand knowledge on how life can form. This could even open up new doors in learning where life came from.

But then..he didn't even know if Terry realized this connection or not. Maybe she was being truthful and she was just looking around, not having touched anything to read. Just because he found it hard to believe doesn't make it untrue.

Heck, he had doubted her on the existence of a chalk world. He had thought the idea was rubbish, and that such a place could never exist. Now here he stood, with a zoner prisoner in the building and a working portal in another part of the building. He knew full well just how right Terry had been. Could she be telling the truth again?

No matter. She still needed to be dealt with. He could still tell she was having some doubts, and doubt was the first seed of rebellion. _If she began to question their mission_...

...then it was best to _get rid of her as soon as possible_.

He still feared what might happen if things go wrong. If he was going to go through with this...then he would need to prepare as best as he could. This whole shebang could backfire on him horribly, and force him to live a life of regret.

So he was going to have to make this first attempt count. He would need to make sure that Terry does not get a workaround.

But _wait_...what about the children...?

Okay, so they were enemies. Rudy and Penny weren't exactly buddy-buddy with Terry. Spending enough time with them revealed just how much they did not like each other. So perhaps he was just overreacting. Maybe they wouldn't...

..._but what if they did_...? Rudy and Penny were smart. He had to give them that much credit, even if he wanted to deny it in the beginning. How else were they able to get passed his security? Even if Penny did use a portal from ChalkZone to get in, they still got from one room to another without triggering the alarm and even opened up the security door. This fact had led him to disable a lot of the security, as he had felt shame for implimenting it, regarding it as a waste of time. It hadn't been replaced to where it used to be yet, despite knowing part of it wasn't even the system's fault. How could he account for portals to another world?

Should he be worried about Rudy and Penny? They are enemies of Terry, and thus may not have much of a reason to help her. Yet...after what he had learned of them, wouldn't this be a tad..._inaccurate_?

He wasn't sure why he was thinking this. He wasn't sure if he was just paranoid, if he was getting worked up, or anything. But something in his head had set off an alarm. Something in the back of his mind was alerting him to the threat those children _could_ pose. After all, they didn't particularly appear cruel, and perhaps would come to the aid if even an enemy like Terry.

He shook his head. No, that was _proposterous_. The children wouldn't be _that_ stupid. Terry would most likely turn on them the moment that she was out of danger. She'd take advantage of their kindness, and use it to get back at them. Even he wouldn't be that low.

He attempted to refocus his attention on going after Terry. He wasn't sure how long he had wasted lost in his mind like that. Terry was still on her walk, and there were still some hours left before they both had to leave. He still had time.

But before he could begin to make his move, or do anything, he was stopped. The back of his head gave a dull pain and he felt a slight shiver go up his spine. This caused him to open up his eyes to another reality he hadn't considered. Something that he should have realized sooner, and didn't understand why it took him so long.

Rudy and Penny would _still_ report him if they saw what he was about to do to Terry. The law is the law, and his upcoming actions would surely warrant arrest, even in the eyes of the woman's enemies.

On top of that, Rudy and Penny would still be a threat even if they didn't report him on Terry's case. He was threatening their '_precious_ world' after all. From what Terry said and implied, they'd do whatever it took to stop him. They had access into the chalk world, and could storm in here to save their friend. Sure, Terry and him did have a plan on hindering them, but he realized he had no idea if that worked or not. He needed to do something else to ensure that they weren't a threat to him anymore.

There was one thing he could do. An act was just as shocking as what he had planned with Terry. An act he normally wouldn't have done, but now he was realizing that it was his best bet.

He turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He stared down the hallway, looking at nothing in particular. He frowned softly, giving a soft 'hmmph' sound. The hallway he was looking down was the same one with the room with the portal in it. He briefly thought about moving the portal, but decided not to, as the location it was in on the other side seemed safe enough.

He turned his head away and continued to head down the hallway. He folded his arms behind his back. Perhaps he should put off Terry again. She was just one person and he was smarter than she was. She could wait a little bit.

But the children..._they could not_.

Rudy and Penny were unpredictable factors. He knew little of what they were doing right now, or what they were presently capable of. They were unknowns that needed to be taken care of. He needed to get them and subdue them. He needed to bring them there...where he could ensure they would no longer be a threat. Not until he was finished with what he wanted. Not until he got what he deserved: praise from his peers.

But how would he accomplish this? How could he get the children without anyone knowing? The parents didn't trust him. They...

..._wait_..there _was_ someone who could help.

Von couldn't help but give a twisted smile, tapping his fingers together eagerly. Yes, she might do... A person he had met once before, who also didn't appear to like Rudy all that much. Although she would have no interest in kidnapping or hurting him, she just might jump at the chance to '_rehabilitate_' Rudy.

_Ms. Tweezer_.

sss

Ms. Tweezer couldn't help but stare at the man disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow. She wasn't sure whether or not she should consider his words to be fact. He could just be another deranged person, trying to set her up for something.

But something about his words felt almost..._genuine_. And she had to admit, it certainly was a warm welcome compared to what she had been put through in the past. Not many had treated her as seriously as this when she had spent half the day running around about 'living drawings'. She shuddered at the memory of that. She had prided herself on remaining sane, unlike many of the cretins and their 'fantasy fetish'. But for her to fall into that same mindset..._despicable_.

It was certainly a nice change of pace to have someone speak to her like she was a human being. Someone who didn't constantly bring up that past incident, and who didn't treat her like she belonged in the looney bin. Even if she did find this man a little..._off_... he was still welcome company in that regard.

"So...you want _my_ help?" Ms. Tweezer managed to say after a bit of silence.

The man before her, dressed up in a white science suit whom she recognized as Dr. Von Doktor, nodded his head. "Yez, madame. You zee, I have an...important program running at my plaze."

"I thought your place got shut down after...that incident." Ms. Tweezer said, looking at him in confusion. "Did it reopen?"

"Well you could zay zat, yez." Von said, making a few gestures with his hands. "I'm...trying to get more people interezted, zo I may earn zee money to rebuild it. Make it better zan before." He clasped his hands together. "I would like to teach zee ztudentz education. Help zem learn more. I do not zink Mr. Wilter iz doing a very good job. Ezpecially after zeeing zome of zee report cardz."

Ms. Tweezer couldn't argue with that. "Yes, those report cards are horrendeous." She put her hands on her hips and shook her head, her eyes closed. "Really, _what is wrong_ with the youth today?"

"I want to change zat. I want to give zeze children a better education, where zey will learn, and become productive memberz of zoziety. _And you_..." He motioned his hand towards her. "I would like your help in getting my firzt ztudent. To try out my methodz and make sure it all worked out."

"_Who_ did you have in mind?" Ms. Tweezer asked.

Von smiled at this. It was almost a knowing one, as if he realized how she was going to react. She raised her eyebrow at this. She wondered if she was going to like the answer he was about to give. She waited, thinking that, maybe, it wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

"Rudy Tabootie."

_Nope_...she was _wrong_.

The mention of that name caused her heart to feel like it was burning up. She could feel it twisting and turning, the back of her head feeling like it was going to explode with the horrendeous memories of that boy.

Oh how she _hated_ him..how she remembered what _he_ had done to her...

All she wanted to do was educate him. She wanted him to see things for how they really were. She wanted to show him how wrong it was to draw things that didn't exist, how the best stories were etched out of reality. The boy was wasting his time drawing those..._fantasies_...those _lies_...and she merely wanted to help him blossom into a _proper_ artist.

What did he do to repay her? _He broke her mind_. He did..._something_... and made her go crazy. She hardly even remembered the act that he did, but she did recall its after affects. She remembered how what he did had driven her insane and she babbled nonsense, and no one would ever let her live it down. They wouldn't even tell her just what it was she claimed to have seen. They just laughed in her face whenever she brought it up.

She had pushed the boy into the back of her mind and had tried to continue life as normal. Yet he constantly came back to haunt her. No matter where she went, someone would bring up that 'crazy incident', and she would get laughed at again. Even after all this time, the boy _still_ haunted her.

But perhaps fate had finally smiled upon her. This man standing before her wanted to help educate students as well, to bestow upon them knowledge of the world. Such knowledge would certainly be useful...

And it would help tame that boy's whacky, unbridled imagination, bringing it back down to more manageable levels. The boy may have escaped proper education in the past, but it seemed like, now, at last, all that was about to change.

Ms. Tweezer gave a sly smile. "Okay then..." She folded her arms against her chest. "I'll help you."

Von smiled at this. "_Zat iz good to hear_! Juzt talk to zee boy'z parentz and convinze zem to let you take zee boy to ziz new zchool. But do not mention my name."

"_Why not_?"

"I...well let'z juzt zay my reputation haz.._zuffered_ due to a pazt inzident..." Von said softly, gritting his teeth nervously.

Ah yes, she remembered something about that. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. He must have suffered a similar incident as she had. He knew what it felt like to go through what she had. In that case, they were something of kindred spirits. This gave her further reason to help him.

"Okay, just give me the directions and the boy will be yours." Ms. Tweezer said.

Von took out a piece of paper and began to write on it. "Oh and make sure to bring hiz _friend_ with, too. I zink he'd do better with a companion."

Ms. Tweezer wasn't sure how much she'd agree with that. The girl might actually prevent the boy from learning. Then again, she was of the more scientific mind. Maybe having her around would be a benefit. She had little reason to dislike Penny. After all, she played no part in the _torment_ she had gone through. But if this was required to ensure the plan's success, then she'd do it.

Dr. Von Doktor handed her the piece of paper. She took it from him and looked at it. The address appeared to be his old lab. Not that it surprised her; the man did say that he was trying to reopen the place up. It would make sense he'd use that place for his new education class purposes.

Stuffing the paper into her pocket, she turned to the scientist and said, "I'll have Rudy and Penny at your place and ready to be taught a lesson as soon as possible."

Von smiled at this. "Thank you."

Ms. Tweezer watched as the man walked out of the door. As soon as she shut it, she glanced down at the address. She couldn't stop smiling. At long last, the boy was going to get what was coming to him. He would become a model class citizen. _And if he could be tamed_...

Oh yes, she saw a _bright future_ ahead for Plainsville.

sss

_It was a disaster_. The crowd erupted in protests and loud shouts. Many of them were demanding the location of the portal. They looked ready to tear him apart just to get that information. Snap backed away, his friends huddling close to him. The fact that they were in Biclops's cave, surrounded by rock in all directions, did little to comfort him.

It had seemed so simple at first. And for a while, it worked. He and his friends had gathered up several zoners whom they feel would be the right fit for the mission. He explained to them where they needed to go and what he needed to talk to them about. The zoners listened and followed him. They had seemed really eager to know what it was he needed to tell them.

But when they found out he knew where the portal was, it seemed everything had gone downhill. He was glad that their negative attention towards Howdy disappeared, but now he was getting the flack now.

"_Why won't you tell us where it is_?"

"Why are you holding back?"

"Do you _even care_?"

Snap held onto his head, and gritted his teeth. He tried not to let those words get to him. He tried to tell himself that the zoners were just frustrated, and tried to dismiss their statements as nothing. He knew what he was doing, and he knew it was for the best of ChalkZone.

But the words..no matter how hard he fought, they were still getting to him, making him shiver in fear. The way many of the zoners were looking at him, it struck panic in his heart and it was taking all his willpower not to turn and run away. He had to remain here. He had to talk to them. He had to get them to discuss the plan to save Blocky, to not rush out into danger headlong without any rhyme or reason.

Such a task would prove rather difficult, however. Many of the zoners were erupting in threats, demands, and anger. They were getting worked up. He feared that they might take _drastic_ action if something didn't...

"_Enough_!" Biclops's voice boomed. The zoners immediately quieted down, looking up at the massive pale yellow zoner that appeared. "_For shame_! I would think zoners like yourselves would behave _better_ than _this_!"

The zoners simply glared back, looking from Biclops and then to Snap. Rapsheeba and Howdy huddled closer to him to help him feel safe. The zoners gave a small snarl but made no move towards him. They took a few steps back, still glaring at him, but appearing to be, more or less, settling down.

One of the zoners said, "Okay then... Will you _please_ tell us what we are supposed to do?"

Another said, "_Yeah_!" He raised his hands up in confusion. "Do you expect us to just sit here while those creators are out there somewhere, doing gawd knows what?"

"_Of course not_!" Rapsheeba called out. She put her hands on her hips. "We just don't want to rush into this thing without a plan." She moved her hand out in front of her, gesturing to the other zoners. "We had a feeling that you lot were going to try to leave to the portal right away as soon as we told you. I understand tensions are high, but you all need to _think_ first!"

"We _are_!" One of the zoners snapped. It was the rough female from the earlier mob. Snap recognized her right away. Her meek male friend was behind her, keeping quiet. The rough female pointed her fingers at the three. "We all know that action needs to be done as soon as possible! Screw the planning! That will take _too long_!"

"Would you rather get caught, then?" Snap asked as he narrowed his eyes at the zoner. The rough female growled at this, but did not respond. "In case you didn't know, the Real World is _much more dangerous_, with all sorts of things that can and will kill you! All those humans would need to do is grab a hose and spray you lot, and you are all _toast_!" He noticed the female zoner was attempting to reply. He cut her off, pointing a rounded hand in her direction. "And don't you dare try to tell us that you can just jump out of the way and it'll be fine! Just one touch of Real World water and you will be in a world of pain, if you're _lucky_! Do you _really_ want to take that chance?"

At this, some of the zoners in the group began to murmur softly to each other. They exchanged looks of worry, confusion, and horror. Snap wasn't sure if they weren't fully aware of dangers from the Real World or if they had simply forgotten and now were just being reminded of that.

The murmurs soon died down, and for a while everything was silent. Most of the zoners had stopped glaring, instead taking on more serious expressions, wanting to start the meeting officially. Snap was glad that at least some of the zoners were willing to listen enough and not just rush into this.

However, that tough female, whose name still escaped him, she didn't look like she was going to back down anytime soon. She stood straight, her hands formed into fists, giving him an almost death glare. She looked like she was going to take action, either by rushing towards him or by running away to find the portal herself. Snap hoped that she would settle down so they can get the meeting started. They were wasting time like this. Couldn't she see _that_?

Thankfully, Biclops intervened before she could take any next action. He took a step forward, lowering his head close to hers. "_Don't even think about it_."

The tough female hissed at him, but she didn't try to retort against him. For the first time, her head lowered in submission and she took a step back, relenting to the will of another zoner. "_As you wish_..."

Snap knew the only reason she stepped down was because Biclops was much bigger and stronger than she was. There was no way she would be able to fight against him. To do so would be utterly pointless. She'd lose very quickly.

Giving a snort of satisfaction, Biclops leaned back and folded his arms against his chest. "Do we have any more protestors?" The zoners all shook their heads quickly. "_Good_." Biclops stared down at Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy. "Shall we get started?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yes." He cleared his throat as he turned his attention to the zoners. "We called you here because we know the location of the portal, and we need to set up a plan to rescue Blocky and destroy said portal. We would like all your input on what we can do, and we can try to set up a plan in order to get Blocky out of that situation he's stuck in."

Rapsheeba took a step forward. "We called Biclops here..."

"Well it is _his_ cave..." One of the zoners said. He silenced himself when Rapsheeba shot him a glare.

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that." She cleared her throat. "_Anyway_..." She held her hand up in gesture. "His experience with creators in the past is going to be of value here. Since we may run into creators during our rescue mission, we need to know exactly how to deal with them." She looked up at Biclops. "Do you mind sharing your experiences with us?"

Biclops nodded his head. There was a flash of a haunting look in his eyes for a few seconds before it vanished completely. Snap felt sorry for the giant, having to deal with all that horrible stuff so long ago, and with no protector either... He could only just imagine what kind of nightmarish hellhole that it was.

Biclops cleared his throat and he began to tell his story.

"Those were some _horrible_ times..."

sss

Terry growled softly as she followed the man down the hallway. Why was he moving _so_ fast? For an old guy, he sure was _quick_. It took all her effort just to keep up with him, and even then, he appeared to be gaining speed. She could hear his footsteps clanging against the ground, which helped her whenever he took a swift direction and she didn't see here he was going.

She hoped that, wherever he was taking her, they'd get there soon. She was tired of all this fast walking. Her legs were aching and her heart was beating faster than what she would have liked. Her legs were burning a little as well from the extra energy she was exerting. She didn't remember how long it's been since they started walking. But they had to be getting to their destination, right?

She wasn't even sure where he was taking her, or why. He just said he needed to speak to her somewhere, far away from Blocky. He said he didn't want the zoner to overhear what he had to say. But just what that could be, or why they had to go to a competely different level of the building, she wasn't entirely sure. She tried to talk to the man, tried to get him to tell her more of what he had in mind. But he refused to elaborate, leaving her in the dark.

She grumbled at this. _Scientists_... They could be so secretive sometimes. She bet that he was just overly excited over some new invention or new discovery and he wanted to flaunt it to her. He seemed like the kind of guy that would strive for attention for anything, even something as minor as discovering a new name for a _rock_.

Regardless of her frustrations, she still followed the man down the hallway, zigzagging around, going deeper and deeper into the bowels of the building. As they continued on, she began to wonder just how large this building was. It was certainly more massive than it appeared on the outside.

Soon, they came to a room at the end of a long, narrow hallway. Dr. Von Doktor had finally stopped, positioning himself in front of the door. She looked back towards her, motioning with his finger for her to come in. _Finally_... Terry followed him into the room.

As Terry slowly entered, she looked around the room. This didn't look like any other room in this building. She could see a table with some straps on it, a few small desks, at least one mobile, with various items, some monitors, and a bunch of other things. There was an odd smell in the room as well. Some kind of chemical. She snorted, feeling a slight headache come on from the dank smell.

"What is this place?" Terry asked, turning her head to look around.

"It'z a room where we teach newcomerz about operating on larger zpezimenz." Von explained. "_Unorthodox_, and _unusual_, I know. But I'll tell you what, zough. It waz _affective_."

Terry wouldn't be surprised by that. She was well aware of how hands on experience would be quite beneficial. She wondered offhandedly how many doctors may have come from this location. How many of them learned from this room? She hoped that this place offered a decent education. But considering that there had really been no complaints from the doctors in this area, she had a feeling that this place did a fine enough job.

But she was still confused. _Why_ did Von want to bring her down _here_? _What was the point_? To show off this room? She shook her head, wondering if Dr. Von Doktor had lost it.

She turned her head to speak to him. "Why did you..." She never got a chance to finish.

She let out a yelp of surprise when she felt something seize her by her arm. She looked over and saw that there was a metal clamp there. Her eyes widened in horror for a split second, and then she reached over to pull her arm out. Then the other one was grabbed. She gritted her teeth as she fought against the machine as hard as she could, only for her aching muscles to give out. Her arms were soon stretched out beside her, giving her no room to move them.

"Dr. Von! _What's going on_?!" Terry wailed, her voice tinging with anger and panic.

Dr. Von Doktor chuckled at this, his voice surprisingly icy as her legs were soon subdued as well, keeping them anchored to the ground. "Why...I'm juzt tying up zome _looze endz_..." The man said coolly as he took a few steps towards her, staring at her in the eyes. "I zink I let you ztay _long enough_. I waz going to give you more time...but zen I zaw what you did to Blocky. _For shame_, Mizz Bouffant. We weren't even _done_ with him _yet_."

Terry struggled against her binds. She yanked her arms as hard as she could. She winced in pain when she felt her joints, her arm feeling like it was going to tear off. She glared at the man, baring her teeth. "Just _what_ are you talking about, you _loon_?! I didn't do anything to him!"

Von smiled at this. He began to walk around her in a circle. "Oh come now, Mizz Bouffant. You know better zan to lie to _me_."

Terry watched the man as he walked around her in circles, like a vulture waiting for prey to die. It was unnerving, unsettling, but she tried her best not to let this show. She gave another yank, trying to free her leg to kick the man. "You're _insane_! I _never_..."

Suddenly, Terry felt an arm slink around her neck, applying pressure. She gagged as her head was twisted to the side. A jolt of pain rushed through her neck, and her eyes bulged. It felt as though her neck would break at anytime. Her heart pounded at this, and she tried to struggle to get free. But Von, who now stood directly behind her, only tightened his grip further.

To her horror, Von brought a needle filled with some unknown fluid up towards her left eye. The sharp tip was placed very close, and she found it difficult to turn away. The sight of it reminded her of what she had said to Howdy, and she started to shiver. She swallowed nervously as she stared down at Von. She looked into his eyes, noting just how cold they looked. _And that sinister smile_...

"What...what are you..." Terry whispered softly.

"I'm juzt doing what I should have done earlier." Replied the man, his voice making no attempt to disguise his cruel intentions. "It iz zuch a shame it came to ziz, Terry."

Terry shook her head as best as she could with it still being held by the man's arm. "N-No..please..." She whimpered softly, taking in a shaky breath. "Don't... I'll do anything..._please_..."

Why was the man doing this? Why did he think that she hurt Blocky? How long had he been planning this? How far was he going to go?

These questions and more flooded her mind as she struggled against the machine that held her. She jerked herself from side to side, trying to yank at least one limb away. But the binds were too tight, and she wasn't going anywhere. The man's cold laughter began to take a toll on her psyche, and she realized, as the seconds passed, she really wasn't going anywhere. She eventually stopped struggling.

In that moment, she realized what a fool she was in trusting Von. She looked up at him, her eyes filling with the question of 'why?', silently pleading with him not to do it. But she knew, in this moment, as her heart's beating pounded in her head, there was little she could do or say to convince him otherwise.

Von stared into her wide, scared eyes. His smile stretched further to one side, looking rather twisted. A side of Von that she never wanted to see. "Let'z..go ahead and get started..."

Terry whimpered loudly, "No.._don't_!"

Von just smiled at her. The hand attached to the arm holding her rubbed the side of her face in an almost affection manner. "Why don't you juzt _relax_? Zee _more_ you relax, the _zooner_ this will go."

Terry shut her eyes, a few tears of fear flowing down her face. "Please..I didn't do anything wrong..._I swear_, I _didn't_ hurt Blocky!"

"Tzk tzk, Mizz Bouffant. Again with zee lying. Why can't you be more.._truthful_?" Von said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"But I _am_..." Terry was silenced when her head was twisted further, getting closer to the breaking point. She let out a scream for a few seconds before Von suddenly released her and walked away. Terry panted heavily, her eyes wide in pain. "_I-I swear I_..."

Dr. Von Doktor shot her a cold glare. Terry cringed at the sight of it. "Zinze you will not ztop telling me your liez..." He placed the needle down and grabbed another one. This was larger in size, and looked more wicked. "Perhapz ziz will relieve me of zat. Zen we can truly get ztarted."

As the man drew closer to her, Terry's body trembled hard. She shook her head in desperation. "_No! Please don't! Stop_!" She cried as she struggled harder against her binds. "_No_!"

"Hold still..."

Terry yelped as she felt the man grab her hair. He yanked on it hard, forcing her head to the side. Then there was a sharp prick in her neck. She felt the cold piece of metal slink further into her skin. The man pressed down on the tip and after the liquid was fully emptied, he yanked it out.

It didn't take long for the stuff to take effect. The woman felt her heart race against her chest when she realized that the inside of her throat felt numb. She tried to make noise, but while she could still grunt, growl, hiss, show signs of pain, among those primitive sounds, _she could not articulate words_. She took in a few gasps of horror at this realization, staring at the man with wide, terrified eyes.

"Now zen..." The man said, tilting his head, giving her an eerie smile. Terry widened her eys at this and gulped, gritting her teeth in fear. "Let'z begin..._at lazt_."

Terry's screams echoed in the room.


	28. Apologies

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 28: Apologies

_**Of all the words in the dictionary, none are more powerful than two of seemingly simple words.**_

sss

"_Rudy_..."

The boy didn't turn his head. He kept it low, staring towards the ground. He bit his lip, sucking on it nervously.

"_Come on_, Rudy... We need to talk about this."

Rudy slowly lifted up his head and stared over at his friend. He found it difficult to look at Penny in the eyes, shame overwhelming him as he was reminded of what he had done to her. He only looked at her for a few moments and then he turned his head away.

He wasn't sure if he could do this. He wanted to. Oh _how he wanted to_...but how would he go about apologizing to Penny? How would she do the same? How could either of them begin, when the very sight of one another reminded them of what transpired between the two? The screams they both emmitted, the angry growls, the punches and the kicks and everything, it came flooding back to him with a vengeance.

This was not something that they could forget so easily. It wasn't something that he felt they could set aside as easily as he would have liked. They had both hurt each other pretty badly, and all because neither of them had the sense to leave, to back down. He wished he had been responsible enough to do that. He should have done that. _Why_ didn't he do that...?

He shivered when he felt a hand on his. Penny stared at him intently, her eyes filled with care and worry. Rudy wanted to pull his hand away, but he fought against the urge, realizing that it might just make Penny feel worse.

But the sensation rising up inside of him as their skin touched one another... The flashes in his mind, it was like watching a movie in his head, mental images showcasing to him the fight that he and Penny had gone through. It wouldn't leave him alone, and it caused emotion to well up inside of him. In seconds, he couldn't take it any longer and he leaned away from Penny, pulling his arm to himself.

He felt a pang in his chest when he saw the look on Penny's face. He lowered his head in shame. He didn't mean to make her upset. He didn't mean to be such a coward. He should be _better_ than this. If he could handle facing off against the likes of Skrawl and Jacko...

..._why couldn't he be brave enough to face this_?

"Rudy, I know you're scared. So am I..." Penny said in a gentle voice. Rudy gave her a sideways glance. "Believe me, it's hard for me to be in this room with you, trying to settle this. But we have to do it... You know I'm right." She leaned a little closer. "Don't you?"

Rudy nodded his head stiffly. "Y-Yes..." He managed to say in a soft voice. That was the whole reason she wanted him to come over to her house, right? To fix this.

Penny reached towards him. Her hand stopped about a foot away, her fingers arching slightly inward. Penny bit her lip and, appearing to have changed her mind, pulled it away, resting it at her side. "Come on, Rudy. Let's talk. Let's get this over with." Rudy closed his eyes. "Rudy, the longer we wait the worse it'll get. We _need_ to talk. Rudy, I don't want to be angry at you anymore."

"I don't want to be upset with you either." Rudy's voice came in a soft whisper, barely audible.

"Let's get started, then. Turn around and face me." Penny said. She reached over again. Rudy jolted a little when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her with one wide eye. "Come on, Rudy. I know you can do this." She gave a small smile. "We've been through tough situations before. We fought before, and we always made up in the end. Let's not make this any different."

Rudy couldn't help but frown softly. "Our fights had never been _that serious_ before."

Penny's expression softened up and she looked at him sympathetically. "I know, Rudy. But..come on...we can still make it better." She leaned against him a little as they sat at the edge of her bed. "Let's try. Please..."

Rudy stiffened up at her touch. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His mind was racing, and a part of it was telling him to fight back, that a threat was going to get him. He had to push back those thoughts, constantly reminding himself that it was just Penny. He pushed back his fight or flight instinct the best that he could, keeping himself in the same spot.

But despite being able to keep himself from fleeing or defending himself unnecessarily, he couldn't stop his teeth from gnashing, or his body from shaking. He could practically feel Penny's concerned eyes bore straight through him. He tried to calm himself down, but he found it so hard, and he seemed to only succeed in making himself shake harder.

"Rudy..._please_..." He could hear Penny's voice behind him. "Let's talk..."

Rudy let out a soft sigh, his shoulders relaxing. The warmth of Penny against him still unnerved him, but it was now starting to relax him a little. He took in a few breaths, in and out, slowly. The tension began to leave his body as he realized that Penny was right. They had to get this over with soon, before it becomes such a huge hassle that... he didn't want to think about it.

Rudy turned his head to face Penny. The girl gave a small, reassuring smile at this, leaning a little away to give him some space. This was it. Time to get started. "Penny, I..."

But he didn't get a chance to finish.

Suddenly, some footsteps came rushing towards the door. Light yet fast, almost like pitter pattering of many small animals. The door was flung open quickly, and the two children stiffened up at this. They turned their heads to see Penny's mom standing there.

"_Mom_..?" Penny asked, her voice laced with confusion. "_What's...what's going on_...?"

The smile her mom gave only served to confuse the two children even further. They glanced at each other, and then looked back at the woman, waiting for her to begin talking. "_I've got wonderful news_!"

"What is it?" Penny asked, her voice filled with a bit more urgency.

"Oh I'm sorry. I just got excited and.." Mrs. Sanchez cleared her throat, rubbing it with her hand. "Well, I just got a phone call from your teacher, Mr. Wilter. It appears that he is starting a _new_ type of educational program in another part of the city. He's found another teacher to help him with this. He is hoping to _revolutionize_ the way schools are run and provide better education."

Rudy and Penny remained silent at this. They weren't sure what to say to this. They still smiled, not wanting to make Mrs. Sanchez feel stupid for bringing it up. But this didn't stop the rage of confusion going on, tugging away at their stomachs.

Just what kind of program _was_ this? How come Mr. Wilter never said a word about it sooner? Why would he keep something like this a secret and then just happen to bring it up with Penny's mother? Rudy and Penny wanted to speak up, to say something, yet they weren't entirely sure how they felt about this. They needed more details. They needed more information to understand this. They needed...

"And he's chosen you two to be the first students there!" Mrs. Sanchez said, her smile stretching further against her face. "Isn't that great?"

Rudy and Penny stared at her, wide-eyed. For a few seconds, they were speechless, unable to respond.

A few seconds later, Rudy managed to work up the energy to speak. "Wh-What...?"

"You two have been hand chosen to be the first to start this new program. You two will be helping to usher forth a new era of education! I think this will be just wonderful for this community. Education has been a bit of a problem lately, especially with the current generation." The woman said.

Rudy frowned a little at this. He felt that was a _bit_ of an exaggeration. He hadn't really noticed a decline in intelligence in the town. But maybe that's not what the woman meant. Maybe she was simply referring to an increased number of students like Reggie, who was a troublemaker and not exactly bright, or maybe something else he wasn't thinking of.

Still, despite the fact that she wouldn't think this of him, and never indicating that she did, he couldn't help but feel as though she was referring to him in that statement. He was just paranoid, he realized. He did his best to push those thoughts aside.

Mrs. Sanchez continued, "He wants you two to get started as soon as possible. On the weekends, of course, so that your regular education _isn't_ screwed up."

"So this coming Saturday, we are going?" Penny asked.

"_Or_ Sunday?" Rudy inquired. The idea of losing the only two free days of the week that they had was rather _unnerving_. He hoped they would be given at least sometime for ChalkZone.

Mrs. Sanchez frowned slightly, rubbing the back of her head. "He didn't say. I guess he was in a hurry. He was pretty excited on the phone..." She lowered her hand and looked back at the children. "He does want you two there today, to get a tour of the place. He has sent you a ride to go there."

"Oh my..." Penny said, stammering a little. "This..this is all very sudden. I..."

"Can't we have a little time to think about it?" Rudy asked.

At this, Mrs. Sanchez folded her arms against her chest. "Have you two apologized to each other? If you need more time for that, I'll be glad to give it to you."

"N..." Rudy started to say. Penny cut him off.

"_Yes_! I mean...yeah we did." Penny stood beside Rudy. She slunk an arm across his shoulder and pulled him close. "We're doing just fine now!" She grinned. She gave Rudy a nudge prompting him to nod and return the smile as well.

Mrs. Sanchez smiled at this. "That's great to hear. I knew you two could work it out." She turned her back to the children and gestured for them to follow. "Now come along. He can't wait for too long. He has somewhere else he has to be."

"We'll be there in a few minutes." Penny said.

"All right then." Mrs. Sanchez said. "I'll be downstairs when you two are ready."

After Mrs. Sanchez walked out of the room to wait for them, Rudy turned to Penny, giving her a disbelieving look. "Penny, _why_ did..." He stifled himself when Penny raised a hand up. She turned to Rudy, looking at him with a sideways glance. The look in her eyes...the expression was unreadable. What was on the girl's mind?

"I have a feeling there's more to this than what my mom is saying." Penny said in a soft voice. Rudy's eyes widened at this. What made her think that? "There's just something..._off_ about the whole thing. Why would Mr. Wilter open up another education center, especially when he already has a class to run?"

"You _do_ have a point." Rudy realized that Penny was right. Not only does this seem unlike Mr. Wilter, as he usually woud only have one-day substitute teachers come in, but where would he find the time and money for this? Maybe Principal Stringent was involved but...no even then, it made no sense. "What do you think we should do?"

Penny narrowed her eyes softly. "I am not sure. A part of me is considering just going along with it, as there might be a chance that this could be related to..."

".._what_? What makes you think that?" Rudy asked before Penny could finish. _How_ would this have _any_ kind of correlation to ChalkZone or what happened to Blocky?

"I know it sounds weird, and I could be way off the mark." Admitted Penny. She clenched her teeth. "That's why I'm hesitant." She turned to look at Rudy. "We also don't know just how persuasive our folks are going to be about this, or even Mr. Wilter. They might just force us to go anyway."

Rudy wasn't sure what to think of this. They were faced with an unknown situation, one that could either make their predicament worse, or potentially lead them to their friend, get them closer to resolving this whol situation. What were they going to do? What should they do?

They were going to need a bit of time to discuss this. He hoped that Mrs. Sanchez will be patient. He hoped that Mr. Wilter won't get antsy. They just needed a little bit of time to figure this out, and decide what course of action they should take. He hoped that, whatever choice they made in the end, it would be the right one.

"Penny? Rudy?" They heard the woman shout from the bottom of the stairs. "Have you two gotten ready yet?"

"_Hold on, mom_!" Penny shouted back. She turned her head back to Rudy. "What do you think we should do, Rudy?"

"We need to discuss this for a bit first." Said Rudy. "We can't afford to make a mistake."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah, I agree." She gritted her teeth as she looked towards the steps. "I hope my mom will be patient.. I've never seen her this _excited_ before..."

"Yeah...me _neither_.." Rudy said, nodding his head up and down slowly. Mrs. Sanchez was usually the calm type, and rarely got worked up over anything. To see her _this_ excited.. it was strange and, in this case, a little unsettling. "Okay, let's get started..."

sss

Ms. Tweezer leaned back in the driver's seat of the car. She hated having to wear this ridiculous disguise, but Dr. Von Doktor insisted that she did. After he found out about her..._reputation_... he wanted her to remain in disguise so that Rudy and Penny would be easier to pick up. He had even had her go as far as forge a phone call and pretend to be Mr. Wilter. She only succeeded because she was lucky enough to have a bad enough connection to fool Mrs. Sanchez.

All this was rather strange, she had to admit. Disguising herself just to bring education to those two students? And as _Mr. Wilter_, no less? Really, if Doctor Von Doktor wanted them to think she was Mr. Wilter, why didn't he just use Mr. Wilter _himself_? There was a reason, but it was so convoluted that she didn't bother remembering it.

A part of her felt a little guilty in tricking them like this. But it was fleeting, only lasting a few seconds, if even that. She knew that she was only doing what was best for their education. Their parents will know where they were. It wasn't like they were going to be trapped there or anything. Yeah, it was all going to be good.

After this rocky start of a new educational program, she was certain that the results would come in swiftly. The students would get proper education, understand the difference between fantasy and reality, and put their imaginations to _proper use_.

_Oh how she had longed for such a day_... Even as a child, she had always hated the fake, the unreal, and had wanted to turn things around in this backwater society. Now she was getting a chance to help with that. Oh sure, she would get a complaint here or there, but in the end, they would thank her for brightening up Plainsville's future. No more wasting time on useless fantasy stuff. There would be more focus on reality. Then and only then could children learn to be more productive members of society.

And what better way to start than with one of the most _rambunctious_ children she had ever met? Rudy Tabootie was certainly a tough egg to crack. She almost succeeded, but he bit her back. He drove her insane, and he ruined her reputation.

She squeezed the steering wheel tightly. She wasn't sure how well she could hold up her disguise while he was in the car. But she knew she had to do it. She had to keep silent, keep herself in this stupid disguise, and take the children to Von's laboratory. He was going to give her money for her troubles, and she could leave, knowing that the children will get the education that they deserved.

Forcing Rudy to face the fallacy of his lifestyle choice would be the best revenge she could possibly want. Her only regret is that she wouldn't be there to see it for herself.

After a few moments, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw the mother and the two children walking out of the house. She kept her head to one side, knowing that if she stared at them too long, one of them might notice something off about her and realize she was in a costume.

Instead of the mother staying back, however, she realized that she was coming over towards the car. Ms. Tweezer felt her heart skip a beat. This isn't what she had expected. Why was the mother getting _closer_? Why wasn't she just bidding the children farewell so she could go? _Was...was she wanting to come with_...?

This was not good. It was one thing to try to trick her over the phone, where she could not see her, and where bad reception was able to allow her to fool her. But if Mrs. Sanchez got into the car itself...and she turned to look... She would definitely notice. Rudy and Penny would be in the backseat and it would be harder for them to tell...

.._or maybe it wouldn't_... Ms. Tweezer realized that maybe she did not think this plan out very well. She hunched her shoulders a little, hoping to disrupt her shape enough to make them not realize it was her.

She kept her head turned to the side as she heard the sound of the door opening up. She could feel the weight of the car shifting as Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez got into the car. The vehicle wobbled slightly for a few seconds, and then settled down as the doors were shut.

There was a bit of an awkward silence as she felt their stares on her. She did her best not to look at them, keeping her attention on the steering wheel in front of her. She tried her best to ignore how they were all looking at her, likely confused as to why she wasn't speaking to them. She sucked on her lip nervously. She could not mimic Mr. Wilter's voice that well, and she had no idea how they were going to react when they find out that she had been forced into a disguise by Dr. Von Doktor.

Well, if it came to that, maybe they...at least the mom..might be understanding. After all, this wasn't _her_ idea. She had _never_ wanted to pretend to be someone else.

After what felt like a few minutes of silence, Mrs. Sanchez spoke up. "I hope you don't mind me coming, Mr. Wilter. I was just curious about this facility, and I would feel better coming with them."

Ms. Tweezer supposed that makes sense. She didn't know why Mrs. Sanchez hadn't mentioned it earlier, or what even brought this on in the first place. Despite wanting to ask about that she kept her mouth shut, knowing that just a single uttered word would be enough to give her away.

"You don't mind, do you?" Mrs. Sanchez asked as she buckled in her seatbelt. Ms. Tweezer swiftly shook her head. "That's good. Besides, I'm interested in seeing this new education center myself. I have a love for science. Will there be a wing dedicated to that?"

Ms. Tweezer nodded her head. She began to reach for the keys to turn the car back on. She wanted to eat least get onto the road so they were on their way. Even if they discover who she is, they wouldn't really attempt anything while she was driving a car.

She turn her eyes up and saw that Rudy and Penny were still looking at her funny. Their suspicious glances made her wonder if they could see right through her disguise. This made her stomach twist in knots. She licked her lips nervously, sucking on them. She hoped that everything was going to turn out okay. That money better be worth this.

"You certainly seem quiet, Mr. Wilter. Is anything _wrong_?"

Ms. Tweezer kept her mouth clenched shut tightly as she shook her head.

"Oh I see. You're just excited, aren't you?" Mrs. Sanchez inquired. At Ms. Tweezer's nod, her smile appeared to broaden. Ms. Tweezer turned the key and the car turned on, but remain parked. "Oh I understand. Opening up a new education center must be rather stressful. I have to wonder how you're going to..."

Suddenly the woman's voice trailed off. Ms. Tweezer looked at her out of the corner of her eyes. The woman's expression appeared to be that of a mixture of shock and confusion. Ms. Tweezer felt her heart skip a beat. Did the woman see through her disguise? Was she going to sound an alert due to a misunderstanding?

Ms. Tweezer turned her head a little more so she could see the woman's face more clearly. Only then could she tell that the woman wasn't looking directly at her. Instead, they were tilted more upward, as if she saw something interesting on the ceiling.

Ms. Tweezer couldn't help but narrow her eyes in confusion, especially after she noticed that Penny was giving a similar expression. Just what was going on around here? _What was happening_? Why were the Sanchezes reacting this way? A look in the mirror told her that Rudy is just as confused as she was. Obviously, this had nothing to do with him. Not that she thought he had done anything to begin with.

Then Mrs. Sanchez shot a look. The eyes were widened in horror, and the woman was taking in a few shaky breaths. Ms. Tweezer looked from side to side, wondering what the woman was going to say.

"_Y-You_..." Mrs. Sanchez said, her head moving up and down as she appeared to take in what she looked like. "_You're not Mr. Wilter_..."

Ms. Tweezer pulled her head back at this, clencing her teeth, her eyes wide. She turned her head to look at Rudy and Penny. They looked just as horrified, although there was a lot more confusion in their expressions than Mrs. Sanchez.

She turned her head back to the woman. She could see her attempting to get out. But instead of hearing the telltale signs of the door opening, she was instead greeted by a _very_ confusing sight.

The woman was stumbling. Her fingers fumbled along as she tried to grab the handle to open it. Her body trembled a little uncontrollably, and she wondered if she was cold, or of there was something else at work here. She watched as the vet swayed slightly and then pressed herself against the door. Her breathing continued to sound off, and her eyes began to look strange. It was hard to explain.

"Penny.. Rudy..." Mrs. Sanchez coughed, her nostrils flaring. "G-Get out... _Gas_..." She took in another shaky breath as she began to slump downward. "_Sleep...gas_..." Her words became slurred after that.

At this, Ms. Tweezer's eyes widened in horror. "_What_?!" She managed to squeak out. She whipped her head towards the back and found that the children had slumped as well.

"_You_..why..?" Rudy murmured.

Penny coughed and shivered. "What is...going on...?"

Ms. Tweezer felt her heart beginning to race. _No...no this isn't what she wanted. No.. This couldn't be happening_... She..she had to get _help_. She had to get out of here and get help. Someone did this. Someone was going to...

_Dr. Von Doktor_... This had to be _his_ work... Oh she was such a _fool_. Why did she listen to him? However, she knew she couldn't waste time being angry at him. She couldn't spend any second wondering why he would do this. She needed to get out of here, before the gas affected her as well.

She grabbed onto the door to try to get herself out. But she realized it was locked. She began to panic. _Why wasn't it_... Oh, of course. The keys. She needed to get them out of the ignition. No problem. She grabbed on and started to pull. But it was so tight. She twisted and turned it, feeling an ache in her wrist. It wouldn't budge. She pulled harder, cursing herself for using a car with a sticky key.

Then, suddenly, her arm began to slink down. Her hands felt so weak, and she was unable to keep holding the key. Her arm slunked down further, away from the ignition. She found it difficult to keep herself sitting up, and she began to sluch against the car door.

Oh so weak.. She never thought she could feel this weak... It felt as though she hadn't slept in days, or weeks. Her eyes began to feel heavy. She tried to keep them open, but they kept closing on her. After blinking a few times, she realized that her vision was becoming blurry. No matter how many times she shook her head, her vision remained blurred, her mouth dropping open a little, a bit of drool starting to form.

Her mind began to shut down. She could barely think. She could barely register where she was, or what was happening. She thought she could see a figure approaching the car, but she was just _so tired_...

She needed a nap. Yeah.. She had been working too hard. She hadn't given herself enough rest. Yes..that's all it was. All the fear and worry left her body, her mind entering a much more tranquil state. She couldn't even remember why she was worried in the first place.

Unable to keep her eyes open, she shut them tightly as she pressed her head against the back of the driver's seat. She curled herself up a little, and she went to sleep. _Sweet, peaceful sleep_... When she wakes up, it'll be all better. She'll see. Just sleep for now.

sss

Von approached the care slowly, carefully. He didn't want to make himself look too suspicious, in case anyone was watching. It wasn't exactly that dark out yet. And he never knew when someone was looking. So as he walked out of the bush and towards the car, he did his best to make it seem like he had come from the house, so that when he went into the car, no one would think it was suspicious. After all, he was just a visitor. Even dressed up in a different outfit to make it that more plausible to people.

He wondered if his gas worked. He hadn't originally thought of doing that, but after how convoluted the plan had gotten, he realized how easily it could backfire. Using a 'knockout gas', as people tend to call it, was his safest bet, as he could deposit Ms. Tweezer back at her home and she would be none the wiser, and he could take Rudy and Penny with him to secure them.

It was such an easy plan, over all. So simple, yet so affective. Once he had Rudy and Penny in his custody, making sure to leave a note for the parents to ensure their children's safety and to eliminate any alarm or suspicion, he was going to talk to them. Maybe he could get them to tell him some secrets that would certainly be of a big, major help to him down the line.

He no longer had Terry to talk to. He had dropped her off in front of the hospital. The woman was not going to remember what happened to her, and even if she did, it would not be enough to convict him. Besides, she was going to have her _own problems_ to worry about.

Pushing that out of his mind, he turned his attention back to the car. He approached it and soon reached the driver's seat. Just as he hoped, he could make out the details of Ms. Tweezer laying in the seat, unmoving save for the breaths that she took in and out. In the backseat, his smile spread further as he saw that Rudy and Penny were also sleeping as well. Or at least, were so tired and groggy, they were hardly aware of what was happening around them.

Von opened up the door, carefully slipping on the mask so he wouldn't get knocked out too, and began to push Ms. Tweezer aside. He found it surprisingly difficult to do so, and pushed a little harder. When he turned his head to see what the probem was, he took a quick intake of breath.

_Mrs. Sanchez..? What was she doing here_..? She should be back in the house. He needed to take her back. He stared to move, but then stopped when he realized something.

That might not be the best move. She might get suspicious if her daughter is gone, and the note might just make it look worse, especially if she didn't remember reading it herself earlier. He had already sent a note to the Tabooties'. They would be fine as they read the notes and appeared fine with their son 'going to an educational class'. _But Mrs. Sanchez_...

It might be fine. For all he knew, everything would work out in the end. But what if it didn't? What if he had _another Terry_ to worry about? Only _worse_... Mrs. Sanchez was a vet after all, and had some more knowledge of science than Terry.

He had to take care of her, too. He had to do something to make sure that she woudn't become a problem. _But what_?

There was only one thing he thought that could be done. Only one thing that could keep Mrs. Sanchez from becoming a bigger threat than Terry. She was going to have to come with. Not something that he wanted. Not more people to bring. But..there was hardly a choice.

But what would he do with her when he got there? How would he subdue her?

He didn't have time for that. He had to leave now. He could figure this all out when he got back to the lab. With the key already turned, the car already running, all he had to do was pull the shift so he could back the car up. Then, once he was on the road, he turned the wheel swiftly, and he began to drive out onto the road.

He felt a sense of accomplishment. He had done it. He had pulled it off. Things were truly looking up for him. Now if they could just continue looking up, he would get exactly what he wanted.

And _more_.

sss

"_Urgh_...what...what happened...?" Rudy muttered to himself. He pushed up on one arm, his free hand clutching his head. It felt like he had been struck by a hammer. He shook his head and looked around.

It was so dark and blurry. He could hardly make out any details. There was barely any scrap of light, filling his vision with mostly darkness. He looked left and right, trying to figure out where he was and just what had happened. If he had been more conscious in the mind, he'd probably be panicking. But he was still in a daze, and his emotions were having a hard time clawing up to the surface.

Letting out another moan, he sat himself up completely. He moved to one side and winced as he felt himself hit something hard and stiff. He put his hand on it and moved it around. Something cold...something almost slick... He formed a fist and gave a weak pound. The way his hand hit made him think of glass, but the reverberation that accompanied it told his groggy mind that it was, instead, plastic.

Plastic..._what was he doing beside a wall of plastic_..? Just what had transpired? He clutched his head more tightly, driving into his scalp his fingernails. He clenched his teeth tightly. There had to be something that would help him remember. _Anything_...

Again he looked around. By this point, his vision had cleared up some more. He blinked a few times, beginning to make out a few new details. He saw what appeared to be a door of some kind, half way open. There was a chalkboard with some writing on it. He saw a table, and what appeared to be some test tubes of some kind. His eyes widened slowly as he realized that he was not in his house, or the school. This place, it was..._different_...yet there was something _so familiar_ about this place...

A soft groan from his left prompted him to turn his head. He looked over and he could see a mass laying on the ground. He froze at the sight of it, pulling his arm towards himself in a cringe. It took him a few seconds to realize that it wasn't moving towards him, remaining on the ground. Curious, he began to approach slowly.

Step by step, inch by inch, he moved closer to the form. He could see some movement, but it was steady and repetive. Up and down, as if the form was...breathing.

Realizing that this mass was definitely something alive, Rudy froze yet again. Wherever he was, whoever had taken him, was he about to be fed to some beastly animal? All for sick amusement? True, he knew of no one who'd be sick enough to do that, except maybe Skrawl. But this just didn't feel like his doing. Something else must have...

He reached towards the figure once he got close enough. Despite his eyes adjusting, he still couldn't make out the details. He still could not recognize who was laying beneath him. He hovered his hand above the figure, pausing as he tried to figure out what the best move was going to be. He curled his fingers inward for a few seconds, then, taking in a deep breath, he pushed himself forward, placing the hand against the figure.

Immediately, he could feel something warm and soft. Skin that felt so familiar... His eyes widened further. _Could it be_...? Then he heard a soft groan and the figure moved. The groan..._yes_, it has to be...

"Penny...?" Rudy said softly as he leaned away. He gritted his teeth as he watched the shadow move on the ground, attempting to sit up. Although he could not see Penny's eyes, he still kept his gaze straight, feeling as though he had found her eyes in the darkness. "Is that you?"

A croaked voice answered him. "Rudy?" She gave a few quick coughs. "Where...where are we...?"

Rudy bit his lip. He wished he could give her some good news. But sadly, he was just as lost as she was. He could only shake his head slowly, speaking on a low voice, "I...really don't know..."

Hearing Penny's grunts in the darkness, hearing her slip a little as she tried to sit up, Rudy reached his hands forward. As he touched her, he could feel her freeze in surprise, and he stiffened up as well. A rush of emotions swept through him, his mind flashing back to the fight. He remained still, his pupils shrunk and mouth dropped open. He soon shook his head, pushing those feelings aside. Doing his best to fight through his sea of emotions, he retained his grip on her as he helped her up, leaning her against the strange wall.

The two lay beside each other, their heads leaned back against the hard, plastic-like surface. Silence fell upon them, save for their breathing. They kept their gaze away from each other, both lost in their own thoughts.

Rudy tried to think of just what had happened. He could barely remembered what happened earlier today. Something about a doctor's appointment and agreeing to come over to Penny's house... At least that's what he thought went down. Yeah, those had to be it. He wasn't sure how. It just felt..._right_.. Maybe after his head cleared up a little more, he could be more certain.

As the seconds passed, as the silence seemed to almost choke them, he found himself looking over at Penny. His eyes had adjusted more, and he was starting to make out her features better. She was staring straight out ahead, at nothing in particular. She had a contemplative look on her face. He wondered just what was on her mind, what she thought of their current situation. He thought about asking her, but it appeared as though his voice went missing.

Again, he tried to figure out what could have happened. He didn't recall anything that would lead him up to this point. He didn't remember wanting to go somewhere like this. He didn't remember anyone wanting to take him somewhere. It was all just so...strange. His throbbing mind made it difficult to think, and it felt as though some of his memories were just..._clogged up_ for a lack of a better term. Such a realization only made him feel even more antsy; something was very wrong here and he had to figure out what it was.

He took another look around the room. By this point, his night vision had taken hold, at least as well as it could with a human. His vision still wasn't all that better, but it was good enough that he could make out better details, allowing him to realize he and Penny were located in what appeared to be a lab, not simply a science class room, which was another possibility.

His mind reeled back at this, and he once again had that sense of recognition. He hadn't been exaggerating to himself when he realized the room looked familiar. _He was right_...because he and Penny had been here _before_.

It was the same room he had been brought in before, when Dr. Von Doktor had tried to get him to tell the secrets of perpetual motion.

And the door being open... That only provided a false sense of hope. He and Penny would not be able to reach it like this. It didn't take too long to realize just why: _they were in a large plastic container_.

A sharp intake of breath. Fingers pressing against one another. A bit of sweat emerging on the side of his face. Rudy was unable to control the wave of shock that swept through him. He turned his face to Penny, his wide eyes staring at her confused ones.

"Penny...we're at _Dr. Von Doktor's_ lair..." Rudy whispered in a hushed voice.

Penny took a gasp, her head making a quick movement as she reeled from the information. Even in the darkness, Rudy could see her wide eyes staring back at his own. "What? _Are you sure_?!"

Rudy nodded his head. "Yes I am." He leaned away from her. He lifted up a hand and motioned with it. "Take a look around for yourself..."

Biting her lip, Penny did so. He turned her head from left to right and back again. Her eyes shifted around, taking in the information from all that she was seeing. Her eyes became more horror filled as the time passed, and when she looked back at Rudy, the boy could tell, just from her expression, that she realized they were indeed trapped.

"How...how did this happen..?" Penny asked. She took in a few shuddering breaths. Panic was dripping off the edge of her voice. Rudy couldn't help but look at her sympathetically. "How did we get here? _How did Von_..."

Rudy reached over and touched her shoulder. He flinched at the same rush of emotion, but this time, it felt restrained, replaced with more of the comfort he usually felt when he was physically close to his face. "We'll get out. I _promise_.."

"Oh izn't zat _zweet_?" A cold voice chuckled. "And I prezume you already have a little plan worked out?"

Rudy and Penny turned their heads towards the door. They bared their teeth in response to seeing Dr. Von Doktor standing there, his arms folded against his chest. His arrogant smile seemed to cut through the air, stinging Rudy's stomach with intense bitterness.

Von noticed their expressions and he shook his head. "Well I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. I do not intend on bringing you any harm." He held up his hand in gesture. "I juzt..needed to make sure you two were out of zee way..." He moved his arms back into the fold. "...zo I may get everyzing prepared. I am on the brink of learning zomezing..fazinating, and I am not going to give you two a chance to wreck all zat up."

Rudy bared his teeth as he moved up onto his feet. He wobbled a little, his head still hurting from whatever this man had done to him. "What have you _done_..?"

Von shrugged his shoulders. "Oh come now...don't be too upzet. I do plan on letting you two go after everyzing iz zaid and done..." He paused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Zough I might let you out zooner...if you agree to cooperate and tell me exactly what I want to know..."

"_Fat chance_!" Rudy found himself shouting. He held a hand up, clenched into a fist. "Like hell we would ever tell you a _damn thing_!"

"_Yeah_! What makes you think we'll tell you anything?!" Penny rose up to her feet as well. Rudy grunted as he felt her grab onto him for support. "You...you won't get anything out of us. We won't betray our _friends_..."

Dr. Von Doktor cocked up an eyebrow at this. Rudy shuddered at his expression. It had so much hidden meaning. What was he getting at..? The cold chuckle that accompanied that did little to settle down his nerves. But right than tell him anything, the main simply turned his head away, looking towards the door.

"Well I zink I'll leave you two alone for now. I have zome zings to attend to." Von said, his hand moving along his bald scalp, as if he were trying to flick away imaginary hair. His eyes locked onto Penny's for a fleeting moment. "I'm sure zat your.._dear mommy_..will want to be updated."

At this, Penny's mouth dropped open and Rudy could hear her gasp. Before he could say anything, she rushed forward, staring intently at Von. "What do you mean? What have you done with my mother?!"

Dr. Von Doktor merely sneered at her. This lasted for a few seconds. Penny kept shouting at him, but still he remained silent. Only after Rudy grabbed her shoulders and managed to get her to settle down did Von offer his reply. With his hand raised up, that cool smile still etched onto his face.

"Az long az you do not give me a reason, she will remain fine. But if you two mizbehave... I wonder how well she would do if I gave her zee zame fate az _Terry_..."

"What have you done to Terry?!" Penny's voice called out. She struggled to free herself. Rudy found it hard to keep a hold of her, and Penny managed to squeeze out of his grasp. She began to pound against the plastic surface. "_What did you do?! Tell me! What do you plan on doing to her?! What did you do to Ms. Bouffant_?!"

Rudy stared at Penny, biting his lip. He lifted his head up and looked out at Von. He narrowed his eyes slightly, but he could not bring himself to say a word. He simply stared at him with an expression of rage and horror. Dr. Von Doktor merely smiled at them before he walked out of the room, leaving him and Penny alone.

He listened to his found pound against the plastic surface over and over again, constantly shouting at the man to come back, to tell her what happened. Yet she got no reply from him. Rudy knew she would never geta reply.

Soon, Penny stopped pounding the plastic wall. Her energy appeared to have been exhausted. Her breathing became shaky, and Rudy thought he could detect a small cry here or there. He watched as his friend slid down to her knees. She lowered her head, her body begining to tremble from the intense emotion she must be feeling. With the realization of her mother possibly being in trouble, she began to cry softly.

Rudy couldn't blame her for her reaction. He was just as shocked and disgusted. He did his best to keep his feelings internal, an attempt to remain strong in front of Penny. Her cries signaled him to get closer to her. Without much hesitation, ignoring his previous fear of touching her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Penny stiffened at his touch, but soon relaxed. She laid herself against him, crying softly, giving a few sniffles.

Rudy's mind raced, gathering up this new information and trying to digest it. Dr. Von Doktor had taken Mrs. Sanchez as well... Or maybe he was just trying to scare them. There was no way he would be dumb enough to pull off a kidnapping...

...until he realized that's exactly what happened. Von had kidnapped them... _What if he had done the same to Mrs. Sanchez_..?

And what of Terry...? As much as he hated her, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest when he realized Von had done something to her. What was it? What did the man do? The only thing that he knew was it had to be horrible; why else would he threaten to do the same thing to Penny's mom?

Somehow, someway, they would get out of here. He would see to that. Even though he had no idea how they were going to accomplish the escape, he was certain that they would come up with something..._somehow_.

But for now, he didn't want to focus on that. For the time being, he wanted to focus on Penny. She needed him right now. And he needed her. They both needed this. Now was the time to begin their first step towards healing after their fight with each other.

He kept his arms wrapped around Penny, gently rubbing her back, trying to tell her it was going to be okay. Penny did not respond, the only thing coming out of her mouth being soft cries. Still, he held on, listening to her sniffles as they sat together in the darkness.

sss

Her mom... _What did that fiend do to her mother_...? Penny's mind raced with thoughts. She found it hard to stop crying. The emotion just kept welling up inside of her, dripping through her fingertips. Her cries filled the air, giving the air around her a feeling of melancholy.

Penny continued to cry against Rudy. In that moment, her previous fears regarding their fight were gone, clouded by intense emotion, fear and sadness and anger towards Von, regarding her mother. She clenched her teeth tightly, feeling tears flow down her face, beginning to sting her cheeks. Her poor, poor mother... _Was she okay_..? Where was she? Was she all right?

The fact that she had no way of knowing only increased her anxiety, making her body shake harder. She needed to get out of here. She needed to find her mother. Every part of her body was telling her to get up and run.

Yet anytime she tried to move, Rudy would hold onto her tighter. At first, this filled her with anger. How dare he try to stop her... How dare he try to prevent her from getting what she needed... But any attempts to get out of his grasp were futile, and she soon slumped against Rudy more, her sorrow overcoming her anger.

Soon, as her body trembled hard, she began to feel some logic returning to her. She realized she had no way of getting to her mother right now. Even if she pounded with all her might against the plastic wall, it would be useless. It was made of thick plastic, so pounding on it won't work, and cutting into it would be problematic, especially considering they didn't have anything sharp enough to cut it with anyway. As much as she hated to admit it, she realized that their only chance was to remain here and wait.

_That Von_... If he did anything to hurt her mother..she would see to it that he regretted it dearly. He would not get away with this. She would see to that.

But for now, she couldn't do anything about it. She remained in Rudy's arms, crying softly. For now, this was all she could do. She closed her eyes, her head filling with the echoes of her own sobs.

sss

Terry let out a soft groan as she slowly turned herself onto her side. She kept her eyes closed, feeling a heaviness in them that she did not expect. Her mind was a blurr, her thoughts a swirl. She reached her hand up and rubbed it carefully against her head. _What..what happened to her_...?

She felt something soft against her face. A sleeping mask? She didn't remember buying one, but she was so tired that maybe she just forget. She grabbed onto it and started to pull it off. Man it was so sticky.. She pulled harder and soon it gave way. She winced as it came off, feeling as though it was stuck to her face for a long time. Soon it was off and she rubbed her hand along her face. She was confused by the bit of pain, but dismissed it as the result of a sticky sleeping mask.

Terry attempted to sit herself up. At first, she could not do this. She felt such a sudden weakness in her arms. They slipped out from underneath her and she grunted as she hit against something soft, yet firm. This send confusing signals through her mind as she tried to make sense of it. Soft and firm...and soon she became aware of something thin yet cool.. A sheet..?

That was it. She was in some kind of bed. Was she back home? Is that where she was right now? If that were the case, then maybe she just had bad dream of some kind. A night terror. That might explain her headache and her tiredness, right? Yeah, that's all it might have been. A bit confusing; she never had night terrors before. But..there was always a first for everything, right?

_Ow_...it feels like she hit her head _really_ hard. Maybe she had been thrashing in bed. She might have been struggling to get away from...whatever it is that had been chasing her in her night terror. Oh man her head... She should get up and take some medicine.

Terry sat herself up. She wobbled from side to side, feeling a strange weakness in her back. It was as if she had been asleep for a long time, like days. She smacked her lips together, licking them a little. Her throat seemed _so dry_.. Yeah a drink would do her some good. She still didn't have her eyes open, the tiredness still having such a strong hold on her. She rubbed her head again before bringing it down to her neck.

Suddenly she recoiled, feeling a jolt of pain there. She remained frozen in confusion before moving her fingers back to that area. Small raised bump...and it felt incredibly sore. She swallowed, and she shivered as she felt more pain. What happened? Had she slept with her mouth open for so long that she somehow dried up her own mouth?

Oh well, no need to worry about that. This wasn't anything a glass of water couldn't cure. She just needed to get into the kitchen and get something to drink. That was all.

She managed to stand herself up. Her legs felt weaker than she thought they would be. And she thought she felt some sweeping sensations of pain. Had she banged her legs up a little in her sleep? It was possible. She tried her best to ignore the dull pain as she took a few steps forward. Walking forward was a little hard, and she had to keep her arms out to steady herself. After she took a few trembling steps, she stopped, taking in a few breaths.

She wouldn't get too far unless she opened up her eyes. She couldn't see anything like this. But...she was just so.._tired_... She wanted to lay back down and sleep. But she needed water first. Just some little bit of water. Then sleep.

With this resolve, she started to open up her eyes. It was a difficult task at first. They were so heavy, it felt as though the lids felt like they were sticking to each other. She pulled harder, and she flinched when she felt them finally tear away from each other. She slowly opened them up.

_Only to immediately begin screaming_.

Seering agony swept through her head. Rapid tears began to pool out of her eyes, staining her cheeks. She brought her trembling hands up towards her face. The extremely blurred and distorted vision only lasted a few seconds as she immediately shut her eyes, feeling an intense burning feeling underneath the lids.

The pain... _oh gawd the pain_... It hurt _so bad_... She tried to ride it out, but the pain only seemed to intensify, prompting her to hold her hands against her closed eyes even tighter. The agony seemed to almost echo through her skull, pounding against the interior of the bone. She shook her head from side to side, trying in vain to ride out the pain.

And the fluids... Some of it felt unusually thick and sticky. She moved her fingers through it, noting its different texture. _What was this_..? More terror filled her heart as she continued to feel this stuff, intermixed with her tears, going down her cheeks.

Soon she dropped down onto her knees. She kept her hands placed against her face, almost like a woman would do when in mourning. She kept her mouth open, letting out shuddering breaths, loud sobs escaping her throat. She remained like this for several moments, her teeth grinding a few times, her crying getting louder, more intense.

_What happened to her_? What happened to her _eyes_? Why couldn't she see anything? Her mind swirled with confusing thoughts as she tried to search her memory. But the pain made it hard for her to focus, bringing her back to present time, forcing her to face the agony that had a tight grip on her. She trembled even harder, her crying refusing to die down. She felt helpless to do anything, and could only remain on the ground, her hands placed protectively over her face.

Suddenly, she heard a gasp coming from where she guessed the door was. It was in that moment, amidst her painful confusion, that she realized this place did not smell like her home.

_Where was she_...?

"_Doctor! She's out of her bed! Hurry_!" Called a clearly feminine voice.

Footsteps. Another gasp. "My _gawd_ she is... Ms. Bouffant!" The sound of someone approaching her. "_What are you doing_?! You should be in the bed! Why did you try to leave?"

Terry couldn't answer him. Any time she tried to open her mouth, she would only let out a sob. She could feel the doctor grab onto one of her arms. She hissed and grunted, trying to keep her hand over her face. But it was wrenched away as was the other one. She felt herself being dragged back towards where she had come from.

"Help me get her back in the bed!" The doctor called out.

"Yes, sir!" The female voice said.

Terry soon became aware of being lifted off the ground. She squirmed left to right, the agony becoming too much to bear. She struck out towards them, despite not being able to see where they were. She hit something, but she couldn't tell if it was them or not. Her legs kicked out as well, trying to reach some kind of target.

Then she felt something soft against her back, and the pressure was removed from her limbs and body. She still continued to thrash, the pain confusing her mind, making her think as if she were still being attacked.

What happened? Who could have done this to her? Or did she do it to herself? Why was she in so much pain? Why was she in the hospital? How long had she been here?

Her head echoed with these questions. She clutched her hands against her head, digging her fingernails into her scalp. What happened...? What could have happened...? Why was she away from her home? Why couldn't she remember anything? _Why_...

Her eyes bulged as she felt a sharp prick in her arm. Her body gave a jolt and she turned her head towards the location. She dare not open her eyes, and she took in a few breaths through clenched teeth. A needle... It was a needle. A feeling of dread rose up in her stomach, wondering just what was going to happen to her. She turned her gaze up towards where she thought the doctors were. Even with closed eyes, she still managed to give them a terrified expression. There was no other expression she could give them.

It wasn't just pain filling her mind. It was fear. _No..raw terror_. The kind of terror that she would expect from a frightened little boy or girl who thought they had been attacked by the boogie man. _No...worse than that_. This was something more.._primal_. A deep fear that was shared among many, even crossing the boundaries of species. Something that would leave many helpless, at such a disadvantage.

She...was _blind_.

This realization did not strike her with as much as fear as she thought, for the drug she had been injected with was taking hold. The tiredness from before returned, and the pain had begun to dull down. Slowly, she slumped her head to the side, welcoming the calmness that had been with her earlier.

And soon she became completely unaware of everything.

sss

"Poor lass..." The doctor said, tsking as she stared down at Terry Bouffant's sleeping form. "We may need to put someone in here to monitor her."

"That's what _I_ said before." The female nurse growled softly at him. Despite the grow, the doctor could tell she wasn't so much angry as she was fearful for Ms. Bouffant's condition. "But you..."

"Yes, I know. I thought she would do fine on her own. But I underestimated that chemical's effects." The doctor clenched his teeth tightly at this. "Even after we got it out, its effects remain..."

Poor Terry had been dropped off at the hospital by a random stranger. They didn't catch his name or anything. The only thing that they knew was that he must have found Terry like that. They immediately took her in. Insurance or not, they couldn't just leave a person laying out of the hospital like that. They had to take some initiative. He knew how poorly it would reflect upon them if they just left her outside.

Examination of her revealed that she had been hurt by someone, and it appeared to be deliberate. They hadn't found anyone yet, but he was positive once enough evidence was gathered, they would find a suspect.

For the time being, Terry had to remain at the hospital. She did not suffer too much internal damage, though her leg had been beaten a little and he noticed a few cuts on her body. The worst damage, however, was to her _eyes_.

Thankfully the gashes weren't as deep as he initially feared, with only damage to the cornea. Nothing a careful transplant couldn't fix. Her eyelids, however, were badly damaged. On top of that, there were traces of some kind of chemical that was poured into her eyes, increasing the amount of damage. He had placed bandages over her eyes to keep them shut, realizing that opening them would not only leave her in agony, but would cause more damage. The woman must have ripped it off, but why?

Well for now, at least he had her settled down. The drug he had given her should keep her relaxed for a few hours. They would have to reapply the bandages to protect her eyes. In addition, he was going to need place someone in this room to make sure she didn't try that again. The last thing she needed was more problems.

Turning his head to the nurse, he said, "I'll be charging you to stay here with Ms. Bouffant. Please make sure she doesn't try to get out of bed again, and try to keep her calm. Inform her of what happened. I'm sure she will have a _lot_ of questions once she's awake and stable."

"Will do, sir." The woman said as she walked towards one of the chairs.

The doctor watched as the nurse sat down and took action to stop the bleeding from her eyes. Satisfied that Ms. Bouffant would be attended to, he turned and walked out of the room. He wasn't sure if the woman's sight would return, but one thing he can promise is that whoever did this to her would be caught. He was certain of it.

sss

Rudy wasn't sure how long it had been since Penny stopped crying. He wasn't sure how long they had been sitting here in the darkness. All he was aware of was their breathing, the cool feeling of the plastic wall behind him, and his own internal struggle as he tried to understand how this could have happened.

He still couldn't remember all of the details that led up to this. He couldn't recall how he and Penny and Mrs. Sanchez were kidnapped. He didn't even remember seeing Von show up at Penny's place. He didn't remember him showing up anywhere in his recent memory before he woke up. He could feel his head hurt as he tried to remember. But soon he gave up, realizing that he may never regain the memories of what had transpired. Until Von decided to tell him, he and Penny would remain in the dark.

He turned his head and looked at Penny. His vision had become a little better, and he could see Penny's face better. Her cheeks were stained slightly red from all the crying she had done. Her eyes were closed as her head was pressed against the wall, looking as if she was ready to pass out from the exhaustion of letting out her emotion.

At the moment, they had separated again. When Penny let out her sorrow, the fear appeared to return, and it was clear she was reminded of the fight. She moved away from him, as Rudy did the same, no longer able to push back the terror he had felt.

Rudy gritted his teeth, feeling a pang of guilt at his moment of weakness. He had done so well with holding onto Penny and ignoring the fear that caused him. _How...how could he have let it take a hold of him again_? How could he let his emotions ride out his logic like this? Penny was his friend. He didn't need to be afraid of her.

But no..he wasn't afraid of _her_. He was afraid of _hurting her_... And the look in Penny's eyes.. He could tell that was what she feared as well. He lowered his head, biting his lip. He realized that if they didn't try to patch things up soon, this was only going to get worse. He didn't want to be afraid of harming her for the rest of his life. He didn't want to be afraid to touch her, to be close to her. He wanted to be able to hug her without worry or fear. He wanted to go back to being her best friend.

This wasn't the place he had hoped they could apologize. This wasn't where he imagined they would be. But right now, the location mattered not. They had put this off long enough, and he wasn't going to let fear stop him any longer. Now that they were together and alone... They _needed_ to do this.

"Penny..." Rudy said softly, staring at his friend sadly. Penny didn't look at him, but she made a quick gesture of her head to show that she was listening. "I...I wanted to..." He went silent.

At this, Penny lifted her head and turned it towards Rudy. She stared at him expectantly, but didn't do or say anything to interrupt him. Rudy struggled to find the words to say. This was _so_ hard...

But he had to do it. He had to push himself forward. He had to keep talking, let the words flow. Things won't get better until he does this. He needed to speak up now, before they would run out of time, before this intense emotion became a permanent part of their lives. That was not something he would ever want.

"I...what I want to say... I mean.. I'm..." But it was so hard. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't articulate the proper words, and he started to trip over his own tongue.

He wanted to slap himself in the fact. Why was he making this harder than it should be? Why can't he just say it? Why can't tell Penny how sorry he was? Why did this have to be so dang difficult?

His thoughts were interrupted when Penny spoke up.

"I'd like to say something myself, Rudy." Penny said as she stared at him. She bit her lip as she paused for a moment. She turned her gaze away only for a few seconds, looking as if she were struggling to find the words to say. "I'm...I'm _so_ sorry..about what happened between us, Rudy. I _never_ meant for that to happen..."

"I know, Penny. It's my fault. I shouldn't have accused you like that. I shouldn't have called your mother names." Rudy felt a sharp pang as he remembered those horrible words. "I..I was so wrong.. I'm sorry."

"I should have controlled myself more. I should have understood where you were coming from better. I shoudn't have accused you of being the reason ChalkZone is in trouble." Said Penny.

Rudy looked at her sadly. He lowered his head in shame. "But it _was_ my fault, Penny. I should've closed the portal. If I had just done that..."

Penny interrupted him. "I _should_ have been more suspicious of Dr. Von Doktor. I should have had myself checked out sooner. Maybe I could have at least minimized the damage more." She sighed as she lowered her head. "I had _no_ right to get upset at you for pointing out the truth. I'm sorry about that, Rudy. I'm so sorry..."

Rudy remained silent for a few seconds. Regardless of Penny's words, he still felt horrible. He still felt as though he could have done something different. Something that could have turned the tides of what happened. _Yet he didn't_...

"I should have realized the fight was escalating. I should have just got up and left the room. Instead, I stayed..and when you insulted my mother... I snapped, saw red, and I _attacked_... I'm _so sorry_, Rudy." Penny looked at him, her eyes welling up with tears again. "I didn't mean to hurt you so badly. I'm sorry.."

"No, I should be _more_ sorry. I'm the _leader_. I should have been more mature. I should have left when things were heating up. And then I..." His mind felt like ice as he recalled all the horrible things he did to Penny in the midst of their rage. He looked at her bandges, scanning his eyes up and down. "I'm so.._so_ sorry Penny...for everything I've done to you. I shouldn't have done it.. I can't believe I lost control of myself like that. I'm _so very sorry_, Penny."

Penny stared at him, silent, and then she moved in closer towards him. She reached out cautiously, Rudy staring at her hand warily. A part of him envisioned her punching him again. Thankfully he kept himself from cringing, and soon he felt the warm hand against his cheek. "And I'm sorry for hurting you as well. I'm still horrified by what I've done. I..I _never_ thought I would hurt my best friend like _that_..."

"I didn't think I'd live to see the day I hurt you either." Rudy said, a heavy tinge of guilt overflowing in his voice. A few tears dribbled from his eyes. "I take it all back, Penny. Everything I did to you.. I take it back..."

"Yeah..so do I..." Penny whispered. She leaned closer towards him, her hand slinking onto his shoulder. "Do you..forgive me for being such an idiot?"

Rudy's eyes widened at this. He felt that if anyone had to apologize, it was him. He stared into Penny's pleading eyes, biting his lip. He then nodded his head, giving a small smile to her. "Yeah..I do..." He looked away from her. "Do you..forgive me?"

"Yes." Penny said.

Rudy couldn't help but smile at this. Penny returned it. They stared at one another for af ew seconds before Penny leaned in even closer, pressing herself against him. Rudy could feel her warmth as her body laid against his own. Her arms slunk around him, her head resting against his chest. He looped his arms to secure her in the embrace.

"I love you, Rudy." Penny whispered as she rubbed the side of her head against him.

This prompted Rudy to cuddle closer to her, holding onto her tightly. His chin rested on her head, the softness of her hair as well as the warmth of the embrace helping him to calm down, finally conquering that fear at last. He whispered to her, "I love you, too, Penny..."

The two friends remained in this embrace. They both knew that they had a tough journey ahead. They knew there was more that needed to be done. Von was still out there, still a threat. ChalkZone was still in danger. They had to do something to save it before it was too late.

But for now, they just held onto each other, listening to each other breathe, feeling each other's warmth. Small smiles plastered on their faces, a few tears staining their cheeks. At last, they had finally reached closure on the incident that could have easily drove them apart. Now at last, they could begin healing.

Suddenly a cruel laughter filled the room. The two children pulled away form each other and turned their heads towards Dr. Von Doktor. They both glared hatefully at him. _Of all the worst times_...

"_Aww_ did I interrupt anyzing?" Von asked, a smirk spread across his face. "I do apologize.."

"What do you want?" Rudy asked, his teeth bared.

Von raised his head up, tilting it slightly to one side. "Oh I juzt zought you two were interezted in an update..."

"On what?" Penny demanded.

Von chuckled as he stared straight at her. He didn't say a word, but the way he was looking at her..the implications of that...

Penny appeared to realize what the man was implying. "_What have you done to my mother_?!"

Von reached behind him to pull something out. "Why don't you zee for youzelf..?"

Rudy and Penny widened their eyes as Dr. Von Doktor held up a very familiar form. They stared at it for several moments, neither able to form any words. All they could do was look in shock, their teeth clenched so tightly, their teeth could have easily popped out of their skulls.

Then, at least, Penny found her voice, so weak, barely a whisper.

"Mom..."


	29. Discoveries

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 29: Discoveries

_**The destination is yet just another start for something else.**_

sss

"How far away is it?"

"Aren't we there _yet_?"

"Are you _sure_ it's here?"

"I don't like this..."

"_Hurry up_!"

"I want to go home now..."

"_Oh hush up, you big crybaby_!"

Snap growled to himself as he listened to the banter behind him. Ever since they had left the meeting and started the journey, he had heard nothing but complaints from the zoners. He didn't get much of a moment of silence. One zoner always had something to say, and others would respond to him or her, resulting in a constant conversation.

Well...at least it sort of provided a kind of 'background music' for the 'trip'. A way to pass the time. Though he had hoped for something better than this. He wanted to cover his ears to try to block out the sound.

He turned to Rapsheeba and Howdy. They appeared to be holding up better than he was. They were focusing more on the journey, and on saving their friend. Snap envied them. He wished he could so easily ignore what the zoners behind him were saying. He wished he could focus on what was important. He tried. Oh _how_ he tried... But the zoners were getting more noisy, more annoying, and some of the stuff they were saying was starting to grate on his nerves.

"I have to wonder if there's even a portal at all there, or if they are just pulling our legs."

"Since it's Howdy we're talking about, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Well, Snap is with him..."

"So what? Snap might be in cahoots with him!"

Snap resisted the urge to turn to glare at the zoner who said that. The only thing that prevented him from doing so was a look from Rapsheeba. She stared at him for a few seconds, then shook her head slowly. Snap sighed. She was right. It simply wasn't worth it. He continued on his walk, staying out in front of the others, sticking close to Rapsheeba and Howdy.

The meeting had went over pretty well. Biclops had been able to keep everyone in line. There was a hiccup or two, and some fights nearly started. Thankfully, Biclops was able to stop them before things went too far.

The presence of Biclops kept the zoners relatively tame. In his shadow, the zoners appeared to feel inclined to be submissive to the giant. They bowed their heads slightly and kept quiet, allowing him and his friends to relay to them the information and what they should do.

Biclops hadn't been able to provide as much information for them, partly due to the fact he never had to face adult creators before. It was a shame, and disappointing. However, it wasn't all bad. There was some information he could give them that, he hoped, would help them out.

The biggest advice that Biclops could give was for the largest zoners to surround the adults, preventing them from going anywhere. Should they have a piece of chalk, he recommended some zoners offer a distraction while the other targets the arms of the creator, binding them or, if they have to, hurting it enough to hinder the artist's ability to draw.

He also adviced to stay away from the artist's _mouth_. Human teeth were strong and could, in some zoners depending on how tough their skin was, pierce into their flash. This alone would cause a lot of pain, but human saliva, due to its Real World properties, woud increase the damage and the pain. A simple human spit would cause _great_ irritation and, in enough quantities, even _dissolve_ parts of them. Not that Snap thought that Von or Terry would bite them, but it would be best if they did not dismiss that possibility.

This information, as well as a few other tiny tidbits that were given, would be helpful in this quest. More would have been nice, but he could understand why Biclops couldn't provide that much information. At least they had something they could use.

He could only hope that the other zoners remained patient...

Listening to the zoners behind him, he could tell they were getting even more antsy. They were restless, eager to defend their home, eager to stop Von and Terry from committing their heinous crimes. They were zoners of action, and Snap couldn't help but feel a sense of impressiveness at this. But he still hoped they would be able to control themselves when they got there. He was all too aware of what would happen if they ran in willy nilly into the place. _The screams_...he could already hear them in his head.

But with his friends here, he was certain that they would be able to keep everyone in line while they prepared to depart into the Real World. If they were lucky, maybe they could even sneak around, find Blocky, and come back without any of them realizing that they had been there. A long shot, but he remained hopeful for that. True, some of the zoners, particularly the aggressive female, whom he learned was named Helga, would be disappointed. But oh well. Avoiding a fight was more important here.

"_Oh come on_!" One of the zoners cried. "Just _how_ far away _is_ this place, anyway?!"

A cold chuckle came from Helga. "Maybe they lost their way. I wouldn't be surprised. Neither of them look too bright to me."

Snap gritted his teeth at this. He did his best to ignore the zoners' words, especially Helga's. They were just agitated, frustrated that there exists a man who wishes to take apart everything that they held dear. Well most of them anyway. Helga was just looking for a fight. He didn't want to encourage her, so he did his best to keep quiet.

But it was getting rather difficult. As time passed, as they continued to walk, he heard more and more snide remarks from Helga. It seemed as if she thought that, if she couldn't take her frustrations out on Howdy, she would do so against him.

"Is _this_ the best _you_ can do? _Really_? You promised us that we would have a chance to defend this world! You promised that we would face against the very people who dare try to harm one of our own! And yet you are dilly dallying, taking us in circles instead of straight to the portal!" Helga snarled. "How do I know that you are even telling the truth? How do I know you're not _another_ traitor, _Snap_?"

"Yeah!" One of the zoners said. "Maybe we shouldn't believe you! Maybe this is all just a front!"

Snap stopped walking. He heard the footsteps beside him and behind him cease completely. His body shook, his teeth grinding together. He swiveled his head around, giving a glare back at the zoners. A few of them stared at him in surprise. A few, like Helga, merely glared back or smirked, as if they felt they had gotten him to show his 'true colors'.

The blue superhero zoner turned a little more and he began to walk towards Helga. His pace was slow and deliberate. He stared straight in her eyes, his gaze betraying now amoung of feelings that he was having right now. Helga stiffened her posture, her fists clenched as she did her best to look tough. Snap returned the gesture, a way for him to show her that he was not going to back down.

For a few seconds, they stared at one another. Everyone around them was silent, just as they were. Snap and Helga glared at each other, both refusing to turn away from the other. It was like a staring contest, a test of dominance. And Snap wasn't about to yield to this zoner. But he could tell she would not do the same for him.

After several more seconds, Snap spoke. "_What_...did you call me?" He asked in a stiff, tension-filled voice.

The female zoner's smile spread across her face, so full of arrogance. "You heard me, little guy." She took a step forward, pointing a finger against his shoulder. "_I said_ you were a..." She pushed against his shoulder, making him flinch. "_Traitor_."

Snap pushed her hand away, baring his teeth in an angered smile. "Oh yeah? At least _I_ didn't chase another fellow zoner halfway across town only on a hunch."

"Well if he had just stayed and talked to us, then maybe..." Helga started to say.

"_Stop it_, you two!" Snap and Helga turned their heads towards Rapsheeba. She walked towards the two, her arms folded, glaring at both. "We have no time for this!" She looked from Helga and then to Snap. "I would have expected more from you."

Snap lowered his head slightly. "Yeah, I know..."

Rapsheeba's expression softened up. Obviously not wanting to linger on this for long, she said, "Let's just continue on. We're not far...right?"

At this, the zoners turned to Snap. Helga's expression just barely softened up. The quick flash in her eyes showed that she was now more interested in their destination than continuing her gripe with him. That was one good thing he can say about her; at least she has her priorities sorted out.

Snap took a look around. He had only been to Pencil Sharpener once, he realized. He didn't know the terrain as well. He hadn't been able to memorize it, and the locater things they used, they were _useless_ to them right now. They had no device they could use to detect them with. At a loss, Snap turned towards Howdy.

"Are we close?" Snap asked his friend.

Howdy didn't answer right away. He took about ten steps out in front of everyone else. He paused and turned his head from the right, the nto the left. He did this a few times, as if to gain bearings on his surroundings.

Snap did nothing to try to hurry his friend along. He was confident that Howdy had some idea of where they were, and how close they had to be. After all, he was stuck doing those _monsters'_ bidding for a time, and he must have made more than one trip, right? _But if Howdy didn't know_...

He could only hope that the zoners would be understanding and remain patient.

After a few seconds, Howdy turned to face the other zoners. His expression had Snap concerned for a moment. It was something of a confused frown. At first, it looked as if Howdy didn't know where they were, making Snap wonder if either they had gone the wrong way, or Howdy really didn't know the way as well as he had implied.

But then, Howdy made a gesture with his arm. "We shouldn't be too far away." He turned his head and looked out in front of him. He put his hand over his eyes and squinted. "Yeah...very hard to tell, but I can see the first remnants of the Pencil Sharpener over there!"

Snap gave a sigh of relief. Okay, good. So they were going the right away after all. And if even Howdy could start to see signs of that place nearby, then that must mean they really weren't that far. He looked behind him, at the other zoners. They looked less irritated now, and more excited at being so close.

Rapsheeba took a step twoards Howdy. "You are sure we are close?" A difficult question to ask, and it did cause some renewed tension. But it was still necessary.

Howdy nodded his head. "I'll _never_ forget it..."

After a few more moments of silence, Snap spoke up. Addressing the other zoners, he said, "Okay, _let's get moving_! We needed to be there as soon as we can! We have to remain cautious and be careful. We cannot screw this up. Remember, not only is one of our own over there, but our _whole world_ is being _threatened_! Let's make sure that those _creepazoids_ never get that chance!"

Shouts of approval filled the air. Any frustration the zoners had earlier was gone now, replaced with determination. Even Helga, with the meek zoner, Arnold, standing beside her, looked ready to follow them. Without further prompting, the zoners began to make their move, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy remaining in front of them, Howdy himself leading the way.

sss

Penny stared out in horror. She was completely stiff. Even her body didn't shake, something that would have surprised her if her mind wasn't already frozen in ice. She could barely register Rudy's hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. She gave little attention to the smile that Von was giving. Right now, all she could do was stare at the thing that had gotten her attention.

Her mother's limp body, held up roughly with the man grabbing the back of her shirt collar. Her mother was unconscious, not moving, not giving any signs of life, save for her rib cage inflating and deflating with each breath.

She found it hard to look away. Her eyes scanned her mother's body, trying to see if she had been badly hurt. It didn't seem like it. She didn't detect any notable injuries on her. But this did little to calm her down. What if there were _internal_ injuries? _What if the wounds were hidden_? What if Von had gone much further than it seemed?

Penny resisted the urge to scream. She tried to hold herself back. But now, the shock was starting to leave her, replaced by rage. She could feel her body start to shake as emotion began to sweept through her. She clenched her teeth tightly. She could feel Rudy squeezing her shoulder tighter. She swatted his hand away, her eyes remaining focused on Von. She took in breaths through her clenched teeth, creating a hissing sound. She pulled her head back as her shaking increased, her teeth bared. Then, unable to handle it any longer, she let out a scream.

"_You monster_! What did you do to her?!" She pounded on the plastic wall as hard as she could. She didn't care how much it hurt her hand, or how useless it was. She kept striking over and over. "What the _fuck_ did you do to my mother?!"

Rudy grabbed onto her again. This time, he seized both shoulders, trying to push her away from the plastic wall. "Penny... This _isn't_ helping..."

Penny shot a glare at Rudy, growling at him. This only lasted a few seconds. When she heard a chuckle, she turned her gaze back towards the person who truly deserved it.

Her eyes leveled with Dr. Von Doktor's. They stared at one another. Penny felt as though the man was staring into her soul. She refused to look away, however. Her anger towards the man made it possible for her to maintain eye contact with him. To her frustration, this only seemed to make the man happier. It was as if he felt so superior to her and her behavior was '_proof_' of that.

The fact that the man was acting like this and how odd it would be he'd behave this way and take such risks did cross her mind. But she couldn't really focus on that aspect at the moment. Her attention was fully on the disgusting man, wanting to do something to make him pay for hurting her mother.

Dr. Von Doktor's expression changed to that of mock concern. "What's zee matter, _little girl_? Did I do zomething that bothered you..?"

Penny bared her teeth. "Oh don't you fucking dare play dumb with me!"

The scientist snapped his head back. His eyes bulged, as if he were shocked by what she had said. Then he placed a hand out in front of him, a finger pointing up. With a smile, he wagged it back and forth. Penny snorted at this. The man was _scolding_ her... _How dare he_...

"I would expect better language from a _pretty lady_ like yourself." The man said coolly.

Penny gritted her teeth at this. She couldn't help but feel disgusted by that nickname he had given her. She opened her mouth to try to respond to him, but a nudge from Rudy forced her to pause herself. She turned her head and looked at her friend. She glared at him, wondering why he was interrupting her. But seeing his concerned expression, seeing him shake his head slowly, did give her reason to hesitate.

She realized she was starting to get worked up again. She was letting her emotions get the best of her. She realized that if she kept this up, Von may be given a reason to do something worse than what he may have already done. She clenched her teeth, breathing in and out slowly to settle herself down. It was difficult getting her anger in check, but soon, she managed to, mostly, calm herself down. She resorted to simply glaring at the man, her eyes telling him everything that he needed to know.

Dr. Von Doktor smiled at this, looking amused. Penny bared her teeth at this. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Rudy glaring at the man as well. Their show of anger only served to amuse him more, and that disgusting smile of his broadened.

Penny wasn't sure why the horrid man was acting like this. Didn't he realize the extend of his actions? Didn't he realize just what the _hell_ he was _doing_? He didn't act this way before. Sure he was nutty, but he didn't act happy to be causing misery to her or Rudy.

She quickly realized what it must be. She recalled the man had started to go off the deep end in their original encounter. She remembered that he had every reason to be pissed off at her and Rudy. His reputation was ruined, and he had several months of being scorned and scoffed at behind him. Perhaps that, combined with the discovery of Blocky, was causing the man to become increasingly paranoid and aggressive. His mind, twisted by his own desires, burdened by the taunts he was given, was making him act this way.

Blocky especially had increased this in him. Blocky was something new and different to him. He had been so desperate with showing the world perpetual motion. Now he had something that may grant him even more attention: a creature that, by _Real World_ standards, should _not_ be alive.

_And Terry_... The man's paranoia became apparent when he mentioned that thing about Terry. He hadn't exactly told her or Rudy what he had done. She only knew it was horrible. As furious as he was for him threatening to do that to her mother, a part of her couldn't help but be morbidly curious about what had happened to Terry. Just what had that man done to her? And why did he do it?

The only thing that she could think of is that the man had gotten extremely paranoid lately, and it had finally shown with Terry. He must have thought that Terry was going to turn against him once they had everything set up, and he sought out to 'get rid of her'. Well maybe not that far, but he had done something to her.

_If that was true then_...

She widened her eyes with a hint of horror as she realized just what kind of trouble she and Rudy were in. Dr. Von Doktor was _insane_. He was too dangerous to be around. If they didn't get out of here...

"I would relax more if I were you." Dr. Von Doktor said a soft, almost friendly voice. He took a few steps forward. He dragged her mother forward a little. He raised her up further with a swift yank. "She iz fine. Don't worry. I didn't do anyzing _zat_ bad."

"What did you do to her, then?" Rudy spoke up, his voice stern. "If it wasn't that bad, then why don't you tell us?"

"Oh, zo you really are curiouz to know? I zought you would be fine juzt zeeing she waz ztill here, ztill breathing." Penny felt a pang of horror as she heard the evil man say that. "Well zen, zince you're zo interezted in zuch a minor detail.."

"_Minor_?!" Penny snapped, narrowing her eyes. "That's my _mom_ you're talking about! Of course I'm going to..." She stopped herself, baring her teeth as she growled at him. She realized it was no use in trying to argue with him. "Just...tell me what you did to her.." She said through clenched teeth.

Von simply stared back at her for a few moments. Nothing but a smile on his face. He did not answer her right away, much to her ire. She would have demanded again for him to tell her, but she kept her mouth shut, knowing that she might prompt him to do something worse. After a couple more seconds passed, Von merely shrugged his shoulder and said, "I juzt injected her with somezing to keep her out for longer. That iz all. I haven't actually hurt her..." He tilted his head. "..._yet_."

Penny, unable to resist, pounded her fist against the plastic wall again. "You better keep it that way! Or else, I..."

"Or you'll what? Zpout more of your _fabulous_ wordz to me?" Dr. Von Doktor taunted. "Faze it, little girl. You can't do anyzing to me. You can't do a damn zing to help yourzelf, your friend, or your mommy. I heard Terry had referred to you as worzlezz... I zink she was right."

Penny's eyes widened at this. For a fleeting moment, Terry's hurtful words came back. She quickly shook them off. No, she was not going to let herself be dragged down by that again. She won't let this filthy man play mind games with her.

"Aww did I upzet the little child? Do you need _mommy_ to make it all better?" Von taunted, his grin broadening. Penny found herself grinding her teeth harder, feeling as though they were going to crack. "Well I would love to ztay here and entertain you two furzer. But I should really get ziz woman into an..enclosure zoon, before she wakez up."

"She's not a wild animal!" Penny cried.

"Let her go!" Rudy chimed in. "She has nothing to do with this and you know it!"

Von chortled. He raised his shoulders nonchalantly. "Yeah, I know. I never meant to have her captured, too." He looked down at her. His smile faded, instead a frown spreading across his face. "But she juzt had to show up in zee car, didn't she? She couldn't juzt..._let it alone_." He turned back to the children. "I had no choize but to bring her. I didn't have time and it waz too rizky."

"You could have done something else! You could have just left her!" Penny shouted. When the man stared at her, cocking up an eyebrow as if he had no idea what she was saying he ground her teeth further. How dare this man act as if nothing was wrong..as if he had done the right thing by taking her with... "Just let her go! _Now_!"

Rudy nodded his head affirmatively. With narrowed eyes, he said, "She has done nothing to you. She isn't a part of this. She was not involved with what happened to you a few months ago. She didn't make you look like you had gone insane." Von narrowed his eyes at this, showing brief bitterness at the reminder. "Let her go."

"I don't zink zo, _kiddo_." Dr. Von Doktor. He lifted the limp woman up higher. He looked at her for a few moments, the smile never leaving his face. "She might become a threat to my plan. I muzt not allow zat to happen. It iz better if she ztayz here."

"_No! Don't! Let her go_!" Penny demanded the man. Her emotions swirled through her head as she watched the man start to drag her mother carelessly through the door. Soon, the emotions weighed down on her further, causing tears to form in her eyes. "Please let her go! Please don't drag her into this! _Please_!"

Von paused where he was. He turned his head and looked back towards the children. He narrowed his eyes in contemplation, staring intently at them, mostly focusing on Penny. This lasted for a few moments. Penny said not a word, staring at him almost pleadingly.

Soon, unable to take the silence anymore, Penny started to speak again.

"Please, sir.. You have to let her go..." The anger that ruled her mind had given way to fear and horror. Even the feel of Rudy's hand over hers wasn't enough to help her feel better. "Please..don't hurt her.. Let her go... Please... I'll...I'll do anything..."

The man's eyes twinkled at this. He tilted his head to one side. "_Anyzing_...?"

Penny couldn't believe herself. She should have been stronger than this. She should have resisted. She should have been more strong willed. Instead, she was actually pleading with this man. She had given him the opportunity to truly screw her over. She wanted to slap herself in the face. But now, it was too late to take it back. She had reeled the man in, and if she tried to back out now...

She looked over at Rudy. He was staring at her in shock, clearly unable to believe what she had just said. She could only look at him sadly, showing a glow of regret in her eyes. Rudy reached out towars her, opening his mouth to speak. But no words would come out, and he ended up closing his mouth enough to just bare his teeth nervously. Penny closed her eyes and turned away from him. She let out a sigh before her gaze leveled with Von's again.

Penny nodded her head up and down slowly. "Yes... _Anything_. Just as long as you let my mother go." She lowered her head, her body giving a few shivers. "Please...let her go..."

Silence fell upon the room. Save for her shaky breathing, there was almost no sound to be heard. The silence was thick and deadening all around her. It felt as though it was dragging on forever. She was unaware of how much time was passed. And with her head low, she could not see the man's expression. She could not tell what he might be thinking.

Penny could feel a cold shiver go up her spine as she realized what she had done. She didn't need to see Rudy's horrified expression to know that she may have made a _huge_ mistake. She licked her lips nervously, trying to fight back the feeling of nausea rising up in her stomach. She had to remain strong. She had to go through with this. She had to do it for her mother.

Von rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He stared at Penny intently, keeping his contemplative expression. His hand moved up and he started to rub behind his ear and along the back of his neck. "You know... zat iz a _good idea_..."

Rudy's eyes widened in horror. "_What_...?"

Penny remained silent. She simply glared at the man, showing him that she still had some defiance left in her. Just because she was willing to do anything it took to protect her mother didn't mean that she was going to act like a submissive puppy to him.

Von glanced down at her mom again. "Well, it would zertainly zave me zome time if I let her go. I don't need any... dead weight around here." Rudy and Penny narrowed their eyes at this, keeping quiet. "But your offer.." The man turned to look at Penny again. "It iz zo..._tempting_..."

"I mean it. I'll do whatever you want." Penny said. Her previous fear was still there, but now she was trying to mask it and look brave. "If you release my mother, I'll do whatever you want."

"Penny..." Rudy said in a low voice. He looked at her with great concern. "I don't think this is such a good idea..."

Penny closed her eyes. "I know...but what choice do I have...?" Penny reopend her eyes and glared at Dr. Von Doktor. "So what will it be? Do we have a deal?"

Von simply smiled at her. A grin spread across his face, his teeth exposed. He spoke a single word that cut through the air like a knife. It made Penny freeze as she realized what kind of decision she had made. "_Deal_!"

Penny felt a swirl of emotions at that statement. On the one hand, she was happy that she was freeing her mother from this dreadful place. She didn't deserve to be here. She didn't do anything to deserve to be stuck here. She didn't want to see her mother suffer for something that wasn't even her fault. But on the other, she knew that she may have just signed up for something horrible. With the man's deteriorating sanity, _who knows what he may end up forcing her to do_...?

She could hear Rudy's frantic words beside her. She didn't want to look at him. Not right now. She knew how disappointed he must be in her. She could already tell what he was going to say. She should have been stronger. She should have been more resistant. She should have stood her ground.

_But..her mother was in danger_... She didn't want that fiend to hurt her mother like he had done to Terry... What kind of daughter would she be if she allowed that to happen? She would never forgive herself if her mother ended up tortured, even killed, all because she had been too weak to speak up...

Despite her fears, she didn't completely regret her decision. At least her mother would be safe. At least she could rest soundly knowing that she was going to be all right.

"I'll take her zomewhere to be ztored." Dr. Von Doktor said.

Penny's eyes widened. "B-But you said..." Was the man already backing out of their deal? Did he suddenly change his mind?

"_Juzt for now_. I'll releaze her, don't worry, little girl." Von said in a mock reassuring voice, raising his hand up in gesture. "I juzt need keep her zomewhere zafe for a little while zo I can fetch your...friend."

Rudy and Penny widened their eyes in horror at this. They glanced at each other, many questions running through their mind. The most prominent one, they both asked at the same time. "_Blocky_...?"

"Yez... Blocky..." Dr. Von Doktor.

"_What did you do to him_...?" Rudy asked, his eyes slowly narrowing.

"He iz...alive. I can guarantee you zat much. _Az for fine_... Well, I'm afraid not." Von said, waving his hand dismissively.

"What did you do to him?!" Rudy repeated his question, this time with more force and energy. Now it was Penny's turn to hold him back. She didn't want the man to be given any reason to ruin their deal. She had no idea what might happen if it were broken, what else the man might do.

Von sneered at Rudy. "You will zee him zoon enough. Shortly, az a matter of fact. And zince the pretty girl here waz zo nize to be _zo_ helpful..." He gave a quick chuckle at this. "I zink zings are about to get razer... _interezting_..."

Penny widened her eyes in horror at this. _Just what was this vile man going to have her do_...?

sss

Howdy couldn't stop the tense feelings from rising up in his chest. He clutched his chest, feeling his heart trying to jump out of his body, as if to seek safety from this place. He could feel the chilly feelings all around him. Trying to push those feelings aside was rather difficult. He kept looking left and right, as if something or someone was going to jump out after him.

He had been here before. He had moved through this horrible forest more than once. The Pencil Sharpener hasn't changed at all during those times. No new creatures or new formations. Just the same mountain with the same eerie mist and the same eerie ground and the same eerie trees. Yet, somehow, it had gotten even more terrifying to move through. He couldn't quite explain it, nor could he concentrate on that fact.

Still, he continued to lead the others through. He had to do this. He had to help rescue Blocky. The poor guy had suffered enough in there. He didn't deserve what he got. He didn't deserve to get hurt like that. _Von and Terry_...they had been so _awful_ towards him, and what did he do to deserve it? Nothing. _Absolutely_ nothing.

A pang of bitterness clawed at his chest. Howdy did his best not to let himself get too angry. He couldn't allow his anger to control him right now. The important thing was that they were going to get Blocky back. He had support this time. Unlike before, these creators aren't going to get the upperhand. They will be outnumbered and outmanuevered. For once, he was glad those zoners from before were coming. They would be perfect.

His friends being here also helped. He felt safe being around Snap and Rapsheeba. He knew that they would make sure that nothing happened to him. They would see to it that the other zoners leave him alone and keep their attention on what was important.

_Saving Blocky_.

"Oh _come on_!" A disgruntled zoner groaned. "Aren't we there _yet_?!"

Rapsheeba turned her head and hissed at him. "_Be quiet_! We'll get there soon!"

Despite Rapsheeba's words and testimony from Snap, the zoners behind them were growing even more restless and eager to make a move. Howdy could practically hear their hearts beating from where he was. They were getting worked up, and he knew that if they didn't have something to focus their anger on, they may begin to lash out at each other.

Howdy wasn't sure what he could say to settle them down. He couldn't make them all walk any faster. They had no creator help them right now, and if they moved too fast through here, it may cause some problems. He wasn't sure just what they'd be, but he just a bad feeling about this place over all. He never ran too much through here before, and he wasn't exactly about to start right now.

But he had to say _something_. He might not know right now what he should say, but there had to be something he could say to settle them down. He could hear them getting antsier as time passed. If he continued to say _nothing_...

"Will you guys settle down?!" Snap called out. There was a tinge of frustration on his voice. "We'll get there soon! Just keep yourself settled down! If you don't calm yourselves, then you can't come with!"

"We can't have those two creators get drawn too quickly to us!" Rapsheeba explained. "If we do that, then..."

"_I don't care_! I just want to get in there now!" One of the largest zoners growled. Howdy gulped as he heard him slam his fist against his palm. "I am ready to teach those humans what happens when you mess with us zoners..."

A female zoner nodded her head. "Yeah, come on! Let us at them! Hurry it up!"

"We want some action too!" Called another.

Yet another shouted, "Yeah, _me_ too!"

Howdy bit his lip. He slowed down his pace a tad as he listened to what was going on behind him. His two friends continued to try to reason with the zoners, doing what they could to settle them down. But nothing appeared to be working. He flinched as he heard Helga spout out some nonsense, which caused the oners to increase their shouts, their agitation growing rapidly stronger.

Unable to take it for much longer, Howdy stopped walking forward. He could hear some grunts as the zoners struggled to stop. He barely flinched as he felt one of them hit against him, who was unable to stop himself in time. Slowly, Howdy looked over his shoulder and glared back at the zoners behind him. His glare must have been more intense than he had thought. Even _Snap and Rapsheeba_ flinched and took a step back.

"_Look_, I know all of you want your chance to get at these two creators. I know you are all angered at what they did and what they are trying to do. I understand that completely. You don't think _I_ don't have a bone to pick with them?" Howdy asked as he placed his hand against himself. "You don't think _I_ want to get them to pay as much as _you_ do?"

None of the zoners replied. They simply looked at one another, their teeth gritted in uncertainty and confusion and worry. A few of them still frowned, but they were faltered, and they came undone easily as Howdy narrowed his eyes further.

Rapsheeba and Snap moved a little further back, their bodies leaning away. They clenched their teeth, staring at him in worry. Howdy looked up at them, his expression softening up a little. He hadn't meant to make them feel scared and frightened. That wasn't his intention. Seeing his friends so worried made him realize just what he might be looking like right now. So he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry at you. I know that you just want to defend your homes and you are afraid of what these people might do." Howdy spoke again. He smiled the best he could, although his feelings made it a little faulty and crooked. "I promise, we will get there soon."

For a while, there was just silence. The zoners stared at him somewhat cautiously. He couldn't tell if they thought he was just waiting to explode or what. He felt a tinge of guilt in his chest. Had his change in demeanor, a usually nice zoner to becoming irritable, giving them a look that could kill, really shaken them _that much_ up?

He hoped that wasn't the case. He didn't want to make them feel afraid of him. He didn't want to spook them like this. He just wanted them to cooperate more. He wanted them to realize that their actions weren't going to solve their problems any faster. He wanted...

His train of thought stopped when one of the zoners spoke up.

"So, you are saying we are nearby?" Helga asked. Her eyes were narrowed somewhat darkly. But despite that, he could tell her anger and aggression was not towards him. He gave a nod. "_Where is it_...?"

Howdy said, "It's in a cave in the mountain. I'll lead you right there." Howdy looked behind him. He shifted his eyes up and down. "We aren't too far away."

"How long will it take us to get there?" Arnold, the meek zoner, said, his body hunched as if he were afraid of getting hit. This fear appeared justified as he got a glare from Helga, which made him cringe.

Howdy paused for a moment. He looked back at the mountain, trying to take note from the visuals how long it woud take them. Once he figured out an answer, he looked back at them. "I would say around twenty minutes if we keep up the pace. _Less_ than that even."

At this, the zoners appeared to grow more excited. They began to move forward even before he resumed his walk. Quickly, before the zoners walked out in front of them, he and his friends resumed their positions in front of the zoners. He began to lead them once more towards the mountain.

As they got closer, Howdy couldn't help but feel a tinge of..not excitement, but something a bit grimmer, yet still drove him forward. They were getting ever closer to the hell that his friend had been trapped in for days. All that time laying there, the wounds festering a little, of _barely_ being fed or given anything to drink.. Soon all of that would be over for his friend. They would be able to get him out of there, and soon the nightmare was going to be over.

Or at least, he hoped it would be.

sss

Penny's mind went numb for a few seconds. It felt as thought it was shot full of ice. She stared out at the horrible scene in front of her, taking in quick breaths. She tried to keep herself from hyperventilating, but considering what she was seeing, that was going to be rather difficult.

"Y-You want me to do _what_...?" She breathed, trying her best to control herself before she let out a scream of terror.

A cold chuckle beside her, and a hand on her shoulder. She shuddered as she felt the scientist pull her close to him. "I explained it already to you, little girl. All you have to do iz follow my instructionz."

"_No! Don't_!" Rudy called out from behind.

Penny turned her head. She looked over at her friend sadly. Rudy had been restrained to the door. The cuffs kept his hand pressed up against the locked knob. The boy kept yanking, pulling, trying to free himself. There was a look of anger and raw terror in his eyes. It was painful to look at them. Penny had never seen him look so desperate. His expression reminded her of a trapped animal.

This was even more so apparent in what laid down in front of her. She could see Blocky staring up at her, his body laying flat, stomach exposed up. His arms and legs were secured by cuffs on the table. If she thought Rudy's expression was hard to look at, Blocky's made her want to scream. Those big eyes, his quivering lips, his expression begging her to free him, yet she was helpless to do anything.

"_Let him go_!" Rudy cried. He yanked himself from right to left. He yelped when he pulled his arm a little too much. Penny shot a concerned look at him, hoping that he didn't pull a muscle. "Please let him go! There..there has to be another way!"

Dr. Von Doktor turned to glare over at the boy. His lips curled back into a snarl. Penny watched nervously as he approached Rudy. She wanted to rush after him, but dreaded what would happen if she did. Having no choice, she watched Dr. Von Doktor back Rudy up against the door, grabbing his shoulder and pressing him against the hard surface.

Von lowered his head and peered close to Rudy. The boy glared back, though there was still a hint of a cringe in his posture despite his obvious attempts at looking tougher and braver. Von's eyes appeared to trail him up, his mind looking as if he were contemplating through several thoughts of what to do. He then said, "You're going to be zo diztracting, boy. Why don't you zettle down? _Be quiet_?"

Rudy bared his teeth at this. "I won't stop until you let my friends go!" He gave another pull, his cry louder, more pain shooting through his arm. Yet he hid most of that behind a mask of fury. "If you _hurt_ Blocky, I'll..."

Penny let out a gasp of horror as Rudy was slapped, his head tossed to the side. His body tensed up, his eyes bulging in shock from the attack. Slowly, he looked back at Von, whose hand was held up high, the palm open up, indicating the source of the attack. Rudy's mouth dropped open and he took in a few shuddering breaths. He slowly locked eyes back onto Von's.

The man stared at him intensely, his eyes shining of anger, yet his mouth ticked into a smile. A creepy expression that made Penny want to race towards Rudy and save him from the man's potential wrath. Yet she remained frozen, as much affected and frozen in terror by the gaze as Rudy.

Slowly, Von moved his hand behind his back. Penny felt her heart skip a beat as she watched him reach into something in his pocket. "I zink you need a little help being quiet..." He said as he pulled out a piece of cloth. "Here, let me help you wiz _zat_."

Rudy let out a yelp as the cloth was forced into his mouth. Von pressed it in as far as it would go, stretching back his lips in the process. He then took two ends and wrapped it around behind his head. He began to form them into a tight knot, securing the cloth against his face. As soon as he was done, he let go and took a step back.

"There, that should hold you..."

Rudy attempted to pull the cloth away from his face. But his hand was immediately seized by Von. It was bent behind him in a painful manner. Rudy let out muffled whimpers of pain.

"Don't even zink about it, boy." Von said in a dark voice. "If I turn around and find that you have removed zee muzzle, I'll give your girlfriend a very painful lezzon." He leaned in closer. "Do you underztand me?"

When Rudy didn't answer, Von pushed down harder. The boy let out a cry of pain, muffled by the cloth in his mouth. Penny looked on in horror, unable to believe this cruel treatment. Rudy shut his eyes and nodded his head. Only then did Von let go of him.

"Good. Keep it zat way." Von turned to look over at her. In seconds, his smile appeared to get more friendly. "Now..where were we..?" He said as he approaced the table once more. "Oh _zat'z right_..." He pulled a tray over, positioning it beside Penny. "I zink it'z time we begin, don't you?"

Penny looked down at the tray. Her mind was racing, going a million miles per hour. If she didn't know what Von was planning before, if he hadn't already made it clear enough after he let her mother go, then this sight was a _wake up call_.

The tray was filled with different instruments. _Sharp and pointed_. Scalpels and small saws. So many things to _slice_ into flesh, to _ruin_ the body with if used in the wrong hands. The sight of them made her increase her breathing more. Her eyes shifted around, going from left to right. She wanted to shake her head, to plead no, to beg him to give her something else to do. _She..she couldn't do this_...

But the look in the man's eye as she stared up at him pleadingly showed that she didn't have much of a choice. The man was not taking no for an answer. He folded his arms against his chest and stared at her expectantly. A turn of his eyes from her, to the scalpels, and back silently told her what he wanted her to do. And a jerk of the head solidified it in case she still didn't get it.

_How..how could he expect her to do this to her best friend_? How could she _hurt_ him? How could she go through with this? This was _cruel and inhumane_...

"Come on, Penny. You zaid you'd do _anyzing_ to protect your mom. Now here iz your chanze." Dr. Von Doktor said. He picked up a scalpel and held it up. He stared at it intently. "Or did you change your mind?"

Penny shook her head. "N-No.. I would do anything, but.. does it have to be _this_..?" Penny looked down at the helpless Blocky. "Please..he doesn't deserve this. I-I can't _butcher_ my best friend, I..."

Von narrowed his eyes at this. "It iz eizer you _vivizect_ your _friend_ here..." He turned his head to one side. "Or I bring your mozer back, and she can join Terry in her zuffering." Penny's eyes widened in horror. "It iz your choize..."

"I...I..."

"_Choose_..." Von said in a warning tone, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Penny's heart raced against her chest. She looked to Rudy. He was shouting at her, his eyes wide in desperation. He tried to get himself free. He tried rush towards her. He tried to plead with her, but his words were muffled. She couldn't tell what he was saying, but his eyes told her enough. Seeing them made her look away in shame of what she was being forced to do.

She looked down at Blocky. The zoner was shivering against his binds. He was staring up at her in fear. He hadn't spoken a word, too scared to even try. He looked so weak and he was in _so much pain_... Her eyes trailed over his body, noticing his injuries. And she knew he had more internal ones, and there was massive mental scarring, she was certain. The poor guy had been through hell here, and the worst part was that she would be made to contribute to that.

She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to hurt Blocky. She came here to rescue him, not vivisect him. _How..how could Von be this cruel_..? How could he make her do this to her friend? Had he truly gotten _that insane_...?

But..she couldn't bear to have her mother get hurt either. Von had agreed to let her go, and he had been true to his word, or so she thought. It was hard to tell, but what if he was? And what if her inaction right now made him decide to bring her back, and hurt her mother? Penny couldn't let that happen either. She loved her mother, and she wanted to do what it took to keep her safe.

_But, if that meant hurting Blocky_...

_Oh gawd_..what was she going to do...?

sss

"_Here it is_..." Howdy breathed, his voice indicating he felt a great burden being lifted from his shoulders.

The group of zoners paused where they were. There were soft whispers among each other, zoners looking at other zoners, some arguing. At first, it didn't seem like there was a portal. It was so dark, barely a light being flickered in here.

Snap knew that Howdy was correct, however. He had been in this spot enough to know this. He moved out forward. He turned his head to face the skeptical zoners. Recalling the exact position of the portal wasn't easy, but it didn't take his hand long to find the rim. He grabbed onto it and pulled it around. The telltale squeaks of the movable chalkboard could be heard, silencing the zoners.

Exposed before them was the dark, not well lit room where the portal was being kept. The proof that the zoners needed that this was, indeed, the right spot, was laid bare before them. He watched as their eyes widened in realization, all hints of anger and frustration leaving them, replaced with awe and some fear. They all knew what this meant.

Now the travel was finally over. Now the time for talk was done. It was time to finally put their plan into action. This was it. There was no turning back now. It was time to do something that most zoners dared not to.

_It was time to go into the Real World_.

Admittingly, Snap was afraid. He was hesitant to walk through that portal and back into a world where so much could kill him or maim him, in the world run by the creators. But Blocky was in there. That was motivation enough for him to take action.

And despite the fears of the zoners before him, as well as his two friends, none of them wanted to walk away from this. They were all eager to put an end to this nightmare that had been bestowed upon their world. These zoners, regardless of what was shown to them, weren't going to back down easily. This was the kind of bravery that they were going to need to win. Knowing just how _vicious_ Von and Terry were, they could use all the courage and steadfastness that they could get.

He allowed Howdy in front. He knew the place better than him. The puppet zoner stood in front of the portal. He stared at it in fear, his body shaking a little. He then swallowed hard, narrowing his eyes in determination. He then looked behind him, staring at the others. He gave a nod of his head.

"_Let's go in_."

The zoners, one by one, began to enter the portal, finding themselves in the Real World. Snap felt a strong sense of...something rise up as he realized they had finally realized they had reached their destination. But there was still more. Now they had to initiate the plan to save their friend. He asked the same question over and over in his mind: _Would they succeed_?


	30. Escapes

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 30: Escapes

_**Fourth rule: If the boogeyman sees you, run.**_

sss

Mrs. Sanchez awoke with a powerful headache. She groaned as she pushed herself up from the ground. She put her hand on her forehead, gently rubbing it.

_Just what had happened_? She could barely remember anything. It felt as if a hammer had been struck against her skull. It was so painful, she felt around for any signs of a crack. For a split second, there was a sense of panic, but it went away as soon as she was able to confirm to herself that she didn't have any such grave injury.

So _why_ was she so sore? Why did she feel as though a _mountain_ had been dropped on her? And where was everyone? Where was her daughter? Taking a quick look around, she could tell that she was indeed by herself. She couldn't remember any interactions she had with her daughter recently. At least not within the past couple hours.

Mrs. Sanchez couldn't help but yawn, her mouth stretching wide open. She winced as she realized just how dry her throat was. She could use a glass of water. She climbed up to her feet, stretching out her legs. She began to walk forward. There was a weird splash sound but she thought nothing of it. She only stopped when she realized something.

_She had no idea where she was_.

This didn't strike her with fear at first. Her mind was still muggy, and it was taking her a while to put all the pieces together. She simply yawned again, wiping her mouth as a bit of drool came down her mouth. She shook her head, trying to stave off the mugginess. Man, it felt like she hadn't slept in years, or had fallen asleep for that long. She couldn't tell. She made a mental note to herself to take more care in watching how much she slept. Maybe set up an alarm.

Her eyes widened in horror when her mind suddenly snapped back to attention. She took a moment to look around, left and right. She gritted her teeth as she realized that she couldn't recognize this place at all. _This...this wasn't her home_...

Her heart began to pound against her chest. She was in cellar. Well not really a cellar. It was too small for that. The room looked to be about the size of her bedroom, which wasn't that large to begin with. There were walls surrounding her everywhere. Cold and hard, and not made of the same material as her house. No doors either.

Tilting her head up, she noticed there was some kind of formation. A bulge, and remnants of some rope. This caused her to suck in a deep breath, terror gripping her heart. She realized that this place had some kind of ladder to climb down in, and she could see a ledge above, where she was certain there was a door. With her being here, and the ladder being missing, and there being no doors here, she realized what must have happened.

Someone had trapped her down here. _Why_? Who would do this? How did she end up here in the first place? Did she have any rivals? Well there was one person she knew how also had a vet clinic, but she wouldn't go as far as try to trap her to up her business. Someone else must have...

_Dr. Von Doktor and Terry Bouffant_... Did one of them have something to do with this? It was possible that one of them was responsible. But at the moment, she really had no way of knowing. And at the moment, she couldn't really think too hard; her mind was too shaken from the initial shock. She could feel her body trembling as she looked left and right, trying in vain to find some way out. There had to be one.._anywhere.. Please_...

_But no_.. There was _nothing_. There was only one way out and at the moment, she couldn't even reach it. She was trapped down here like a wild animal. She was so tempted to scream for help, but that may not do her any good.

No, she had to sit down and try to think of a way out of here. Maybe she could think of something that could help her. The last thing she should do is panic. She took in a deep breath, riding out the fear, getting her mind to be as calm as possible. Only with a clear mind could she begin to think of the solution to her dilemma.

She walked over towards a corner of the room. Despite its uncomfortable feeling and dankiness and smell, Mrs. Sanchez pressed her back against it and slid down slowly. She suddenly felt something wet again. She gritted her teeth in disgust. Just what was she touching? And why did it feel so strange? Just what was in this water?

_Wait a minute_...

With eyes wide, she looked down at her hand, which glistened from being wet. She stared at it, noting how it did indeed look like water. But something was..._off about it_. But it felt as though it was a slightly different texture. And it didn't smell like water. It smelled like...

She stiffened up for a second. Then she let out a scream of terror, unable to hold back her emotions. She jumped back, looking down at the floor. One part of the room was beginning to flood with this stuff. That smell...it was this stuff... She looked at the flooded ground in horror. It was at this moment that whoever did this, they weren't seeking to just keep her locked away for a time. _They were trying to murder her_.

This realization sent ice through her body. She shook harder, her legs growing weak. She dropped down on the dry patch of ground. She stared out ahead, looking at nothing in particular. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of her predicament.

Now, more than ever, she had to figure out just who was doing this to her, and why. _Who would want to kill her_? What had she done to anyone to deserve this? Did she tick someone off? She wasn't sure. She took in several quick breaths, looking left and right. She clenched her teeth tightly, her body shaking even harder, unable to stop it.

The emotion starting to get to her, she could feel tears begin to form in her yes. She tried to control herself. She tried to get herself to calm down, to try to focus on the task at hadn. But all this that was happening..it was just too much. She couldn't make sense of anything. She couldn't get her heart to stop beating so fast. She couldn't stop herself from shaking. All she could do was press her legs against herself, her arms looped around them. She took some comfort in her own warmth, but it wasn't enough to stave away the fear.

Her heart twisted when she thought of Penny. Where was her daughter? Was she all right? Did the fiend get her too, or did she manage to escape? Mrs. Sanchez wished she could find out. She wished she could get out of here and find her daughter. And what of Rudy and his parents? Did they get captured as well? Did they become targets?

Mrs. Sanchez never felt so _helpless_ before. She had nowhere to go and she was trapped in a room where part of it was partially covered by this chemical, this substance, and she knew if she came in contact with it directly too much, she would get horrifying affect. This stuff could kill her... She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, letting a few more tears fall. _Oh gawd, who could do such a thing to her_...?

Suddenly, a sound catch her attention. It was faint, but there. She tilted her head to one side, struggling to hear what it was. Some kind of...not dripping sound, but one she would expect from a fluid.

Her heart nearly stopped. There was only one explaination for this. Only one thing that could explain what was going on, why she was hearing this sound. _Please..no..it couldn't be true..no_...

She looked over at where the fluid chemical was. She got up and she took a few steps towards it. She looked at it carefully, watching closely. She did this for several moments, looking to see if there was any kind of change. It took a while, but she soon realized just what was going on.

The fluids..they..._they were spreading_.. The room was being flooded with this stuff.

Mrs. Sanchez froze in terror at this. She felt her heart nearly rip in two, raw fear creeping over her mind. She look left and right again, panic starting to take her over once more. She started to cry harder, unable to believe what was happening. At the horrific realization of being trapped in a room of rising acid, she pulled her head back and let out a scream.

sss

Blocky's mind was swirling. He looked from the scalpel up to Penny. He tried to shake his head, but it was strapped down by metal now, limiting his movements. He stared up at Penny pleadingly, begging her not to do this. But in his head, he realized what fate awaited him. Even if Penny didn't give into the man's desires, he may still end up being... _No please no_...

Blocky wanted to cry. He wanted to burst into tears and sob. He wanted to curl up in a ball and forget what was happening. Yet he was forced to stay here, unable to escape, and he had cried so much he didn't think he had any tears left. He bit his lip, taking in several shuddered breaths. There...there had to be _something_ he could do to get out of here. _Anything_...

But what could he do now? He couldn't plead with Penny. She wanted to stop. She wanted to turn away, but from what he could hear, this evil, vile, disgusting man who _dare_ call himself a _scientist_...he had her in a tight grip. He had the gall to threaten the girl's mother. He was forcing her into a sadistic choice, where either she hurt him or allowed her mother to be hurt. And he was not giving her a third option, nor could he see a third option available for her.

If only he could get himself free... If only he could find a way out of here... There had to be someway. This situation couldn't possibly be this hopeless, right? _No_... There had to be a way. He just had to look elsewhere to find it.

He shifted his eyes, trying to see Rudy. From this angle, it was really hard to see him. He could only make out a few blurred colors and a bit of movement to indicate his presence. Despite not seeing him, Blocky had a very good idea of just what he looked like right now: terrified and infuriated.

"Have you yet dezided, Penny?"

His thoughts were cut off when Dr. Von Doktor spoke to Penny again. How long had it been since he last spoke to her? Since he awaited her response? Likely just several seconds, but he could just imagine it being many minutes, even an hour. The tension and fear he felt made time appear to slow down, forcing him to endure for an extra long time.

He tried his best to look over at Von. Unfortunately for him, he could see the man's face quite easily. The man stood next to the table, next to Penny. He had slung his filthy hand over her shoulder, keeping Penny there. Should she try to move, he would just tighten his grip on her to prevent her from leaving. Blocky could only look at her sadly and sympathetically, intermixing with his looks of terror.

Von, of course, just smiled. This smile wasn't like the one the man had given to him in the beginning. This one was a look of insanity. Something had caused this man to grow unhinged, and now he was taking wilder, more dangerous risks.

_Why? Why must he be this way_? Why must he do this? Blocky had a feeling he'd never know for certain. He would never know if this was desperation, if he had a hidden grudge, or anything. The only thing that he did know was the man was becoming more and more of a threat.

However, there might be some light in the corner. In this situation, he realized what would happen if the man were to get caught. All it would take is a _single slip up_...

"_Well_? Aren't you going to anzwer me?" Dr. Von Doktor said as he gripped Penny tighter. The girl winced at his touch, hunching her shoulders. She stared up at him pleadingly. Von narrowed his eyes. "I gave you an eazy choize. I would have zought you were zmart enough to chooze quickly."

"This isn't fair." Penny said, biting her lip nervously. She looked from Blocky and then towards Rudy, who was still chained to the wall. "Please..you can't do this. Let my friend go."

"Why are you ztill trying to beg?" Von's voice was tinged with...something uncomfortable that Blocky couldn't properly identify. He couldn't tell if the man was angered or disgusted. "I already gave you a choize. Yet you chooze to be indezizive. How _pitiful_..."

Von released Penny and turned around to face her completely. He seemed to tower over her, making the girl take a step back. Despite Von being not a very tall person to begin with, at least among adults, compared to Penny, he seemed almost massive.

Penny didn't say a word. She looked as if she wanted to speak, but her wide eyes showed just how afraid she was to speak up, as if she were worried about what the evil man might do. Considering all that's happened so far, even in his pain and agony, this did not surprise Blocky at all. The man was growing _dangerousy unhinged_, more so as the time passed. He did not want to imagine just how far this man might go to secure his position of...whatever it is that he wanted.

After a few more moments, Penny appeared to find her voice. It was shaky and weak, but nonetheless, she started to speak. "I-I can't choose... I can't choose between my friend and my mother. I would never forgive myself for either choice I make."

Von's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And now you are going to regret ziz choize."

Penny's eyes widened in horror. She shook her head in desperation. "N-No.._please_..."

Von grabbed onto Penny's shirt. He roughly pulled her over. She let out a cry of surprise. He put his face close to hers, glaring at her in an almost threatening manner. "Zen make up your mind, little brat, or I will dip both your mozer and your friend in a _vat of boiling oil_..." Penny took a sharp gasp at this.

Blocky's heart tightened at this, a wave of cold fear washing through his body. He had no idea if Von would even carry out such a threat. The way he said it, the way it was worded, it seemed more like it was just a statement of desperation. But did he really want to take that chance? What if the man really was so desperate, that he would commit such a heinous crime, despite the risks of being caught? He found his body trembling, and he attempted to pull himself free, yet the cuffs felt as tight as ever. Even tighter.

He could hear banging towards his side. He didn't need to try to look to know that Rudy was trying to get free. Even with him gagged, he could hear the boy's cries, muffled but still there. He could even detect the angered emotion that dripped from the boy's voice. And he could understand completely why he felt that way.

The way this man was treating Penny was absolutely disgusting. Blocky stared at her, seeing her terrified face. He felt a pang in his stomach, and he wanted to do something to help her, despite fear for himself. Yet he was helpless, as well as Rudy. They were forced to watch as the man continued his mental torment of Penny.

"I zee you cannot make a dezizion." Dr. Von Doktor said after only about a minute of silence. "I gave you plenty of time to chooze, and yet you ztill remain zilent. I felt I waz being zo.._generouz_." He released Penny and took a step back. "I zuppoze I have no choize zen."

Penny shook her head. A few tears glinted in her eyes. "Why can't you just let my friend go? Why can't you leave my mom out of this? Please..._why are you doing this_?"

"_Why_...? I'm zurprized you have to azk zuch a ztupid and eazy queztion, Penny." Dr. Von Doktor's voice was icy and cold, as if he were about to breathe the element itself. "I am tired of being zee laughing ztock of my peerz. Do you know what it iz like to be mocked? To have everyone point at you and zay how much of an idiot you were? Well? _Do you_?"

Penny opened her mouth to speak, but nothing could come out. This caused Von to seethe at her, baring his teeth. He looked almost as if he was going to attack her, and it honestly surprised Blocky when he didn't.

"I knew you wouldn't. Of courze you could not pozzibly underztand my zituation." Von raised his hands up in the air. "And why should you? After all, _you were the one who put me here in the firzt plaze_!" He pointed at Penny accusatory. Penny's eyes widened in confusion. "Don't try to lie to me, girl! I know zat you and your boyfriend over zere were out to humiliate me in front of my peerz! You zwitched the machine and becauze of zat, everyone now mockz me! I nearly lozt my lab, and I lozt all my fellow workerz! I lozt my reputation! _And it'z all becauze of you two_!"

Blocky's eyes widened at this. He couldn't believe the man was trying to pin all the blame on Rudy and Penny. It wasn't like they meant to ruin his reputation..._right_? Blocky wasn't honestly sure, but knowing them, they only wanted Von to leave them alone.

And even then, that was no excuse for what the man was doing right now. He was holding them hostage here. He was committing illegal acts to get what he wanted. Did he really think this was going to be worth it in the end? Even in his scared state, Blocky could still feel disgust and confusion over the man's decisions. Did he even _think_ any of this actions through?

The zoner's thoughts were interrupted when he felt the man grip him tightly. He winced as the man's fingers interlocked against his head. He felt some pressure as the man pulled on him. He let out a whimper, but otherwise remained silent. He stared up at him fearfully. _Just what did he have planned for him_?

"Zinze you can't dezide... I'll make the dezizion for you." Dr. Von Doktor said, a sneer spreading across his face. "After all, you two children didn't give me a choize. _Zo naturally_...it would be razer fitting for you to have your choize taken away..."

Rudy shook his head and let out loud cries of protest. He pulled harder, reaching his hand out forward. Penny's body started to tremble as she shook her head. Before either child could speak, before Blocky could even think of trying to say something, the man brought a scalpel towards his throat.

"I have to wonder what hiz zroat lookz like." Von said in a cool voice. At this, Blocky struggled harder, his heart pounding against his chest. "I'm sure it will be very interezting. Zo flat and yet zo functional."

"_No! Don't_!" Penny screamed. She rushed towards the man, her hand reaching out to grab the scalpel. "_Please, I_..."

Von snarled at the girl. He pulled his foot back and he struck it against her stomach. Rudy and Blocky looked on in horror as the girl staggered back, her hands clutching her stomach. She gritted her teeth in pain as she looked up at the scientist. Von stared at her coldly, showing no signs of regretting what he had done.

"Don't look at me zat way." Von said, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "You dezerve zat for what you did to me. Bezidez, I waz nize enough to give you a choize. Yet you botched up your chanze. You have no one to blame but yourzelf."

Penny continued to hold onto her stomach. She took in a few seething breaths, her eyes clinched shut tightly. After a few moments of trying to ride out the pain, she said, "_Y-You_...were the one who..."

"Who _what_?" Von interrupted. "Zee one who wanted to share this wonderful dizcovery with zee world? Zee one who felt that your boyfriend's findingz could change the world?" He raised his hand up in the air in gesture. "All I wanted to do was better mankind. Waz _zat_ zo _wrong_?"

At this, Penny couldn't answer. This made Von's eyes narrow again, his teeth bared as anger washed over his face.

"I did nozing wrong and yet you two children ztill wanted to punish me for it!" Von growled at her. "Now it iz my turn..."

"_You kidnapped my friend_!" Penny cried.

Von scoffed at this. "I only took him to my lab to zpeak to him. I never had any intention on hurting him or holding him for ranzom." Penny remained quiet, her panicked mind likely not allowing her to make a coherent response. "Faze it, little girl. I'm the victim here. All ziz happened becauze of you two." He pointed a finger at her. "Now let uz get back to zee topic. I will give you one more chanze, Penny." He took a step towards her, releasing his grip on Blocky. "Will you help me learn what makez your friend tick...or are you more zan willing to watch him _die_?"

Blocky's heart froze at this. _Again with the sadistic choice_. This time, he knew that Von was not going to give Penny much time to respond. He took in a few shaky breaths, tears forming in his eyes. He wanted to speak, but feared that he may only make things worse. He shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the potential impact of cold blade against his skin.

"I..I-I..." Penny whimpered. Her sounds of distress were intermixed with Rudy's muffled shouts of anger.

"Ah well, zinze you can't dezide..." Von started to say.

"What?" Penny's soft voice called out. "_No_...!"

Von turned his attention away from her, smiling down at Blocky. "I made the dezizion for you. Zo don't worry, Penny." He lowered the scalpel once more towards the zoner. "I am ztill zo curiouz about hiz..._unique_ anatomy..."

"_No! Don't_!" Penny shouted in horror. "_Please_!"

Blocky looked up at the man pleadingly. He sucked on his lip, feeling cold terror grip him. He managed to squeak out a word. "P-Please..."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. The man jolted in shock, the scalpel slipping from him. Blocky would have cried out in pain when the blade cut into his body a little. But at the moment, his mind was diverted. Turning his eyes, he could see the door had been opened up, forced down by a great force. Rudy was laying on the ground, the heavy door laying upon him. Blocky was about to ask if he was okay when his eyes caught sight of who had rushed in.

At first, he froze, unable to believe what he was seeing. He thought, at first, this had to be a dream. Maybe he had been drugged and he was just seeing things. Maybe his mind had become so clouded and he so desperate, he was just seeing what he wanted to be there. In all his time of feeling hopeless, it was hard for him to grasp that this could really be happening.

But the more seconds he stared, the more he listened to the voices, he realized this was real. It had to be. _Please...don't let this be some kind of dream_... Don't let fate play a cruel joke on him... _Please_...

Then he heard the voice he thought he'd never hear again since their last departure.

"_Leave my friends alone_!"

It was Snap. And this time he wasn't alone. Blocky could see that not only was Howdy with him, but Rapsheeba and several other zoners as well. He watched as a strong zoner freed Rudy and the others took a defensive stance, facing the man bravely.

One of them, a female, took a few steps forward. She formed a fist and slammed it into her palm. "Hello there. You must be this..Dr. Von Doktor person... Now I have a question for _you_.." Her eyes narrowed. "Are we going to do this the easy way or the _hard way_?"

sss

Rudy had a hard time wrapping his mind around what was going on. He hadn't expected something like this to happen. It was like some kind of weird dream.

_How did this happen_?

_What led up to this_?

_Was this even real_?

Rudy leaned against the zoner, his mind still swirling. He looked around him, noting there were several zoners now in the room. Among them was his best friend, Snap, along with two other friends of his, Rapsheeba and Howdy. Rudy breathed in and out slowly, turning his head from right to left, looking at all around him, his mind desperately trying to process what had happened.

One minute, he was shouting in desperation, trying to get the evil man to leave his friend alone. He was trying to help Penny, trying to free himself to stop Von. He was trying to protect Blocky from getting more hurt. He was struggling, and then he pulled real hard then...

When the door had slammed onto him, he was aware mostly of a sudden pressure. The pain didn't register until seconds later. He had groaned, his body giving a few shivers of pain. He hadn't expected the door to fall down on him, and when it had, it took him by surprise. He couldn't be that strong, right? This door was metal or steel or something, complete with a keypad to lock it. How did he do that?

It turned out that he didn't do it. A bunch of zoners had rushed in. The strongest ones had knocked the door down. Rudy just couldn't get out of the way in time. In fact, cuffed to the door, there was no way for him to dodge.

His legs were still shaky, trembling from the shock, forcing him to continue relying on the zoner beside him for support. He kept his arms wrapped around his thick, strong arm. He pressed his body against him, preventing himself from falling over. The zoner, who was larger than him, gripped his arm with his large hand, helping to steady him. Rudy didn't recognize this zoner in particular, but he was glad for his help.

He watched as the rough female zoner, whom he recognized as the same one who led the chase against Howdy, turned her sights and hostility against Dr. Von Doktor. Rudy bit his lip. Why did he have a sinking feeling that this wasn't going to end _well_? He wanted to shout and warn the zoner, urge her and the others to flee, but no words would come out.

What was she _thinking_? What were _any_ of these zoners thinking? They should be running. They were in the Real World. They have to get a move on.

Von glared at the female zoner. His eyes zimmed up and down her body, as if to study her. A smile soon spread across his face. Small, faint, but just as unnerving as ever. "Do you know what you're _doing_?"

The female zoner gritted her teeth. "Of course I do!" She pointed a finger at the man. "Do you think that we are just going to let you _take over our world like that_?!"

Rudy could hear some of the zoners voice their approval.

"Yeah!"

"You made a mistake, pal!"

"You're in _big trouble_!"

Rudy tried to voice his concerns. He tried to get himself to tell them to run. Anything. But he was so shaken, he couldn't bring himself to say anything. All he could do was look on in horror as the scene played out before him. Thankfully, Penny was able to say something.

"Guys..This isn't a good idea..." Penny spoke up. The zoners glanced at her. "Please... you have to run.. Leave.. Get out of here..." Penny pleaded with them. She occassionally glanced at Von before turning her gaze back to the zoners. "Run, before he..."

"_No way_!" One of the zoners said, swiping his hand through the air as if it were a knife. "_We ain't going nowhere_!"

Another nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Why should we go?" The zoner asked, folding her arms against her chest.

Rudy and Penny turned their heads towards Rapsheeba, Snap, and Howdy. Their eyes widened in desperation, looking at them pleadingly. They both silently hoped that their friends would be able to talk some sense into the zoners.

But from their expressions, it looked like they had lost most influence over the zoners. It appeared that they had been the ones to lead them here, but now that they are here, the zoners have no further use for them. These zoners were hellbent on defending their home, and now that they were here, they were going to take full advantage of that. Nothing Snap, Howdy, or Rapsheeba said did anything to change their minds.

"Guys, we should..." Rapsheeba started to say.

"Oh hush up! We are here now! This is our chance!" Another female zoner snarled, forming a fist with her hand. "Let's take it!"

"We won't run! We won't cower!" Another female zoner cried. "Isn't that right, Helga?"

Rudy watched as the aggressive female, identified as Helga, nod her head. She looked at the group she was with, a dark smile on her face. She looked so arrogant, as if she was sure to win. _Oh why won't she listen_? Why won't she turn and run?

"_Come on everyone_!" Helga shouted as she raised a fist in the air. "Let's teach this guy what happens when you mess with..."

Suddenly, Helga let out a pained gurgle and a surprised grunt. Her body stiffened up as her eyes bulged. Slowly, she looked down towards her cheset. For the first time, possibly in all her life, her eyes registered fear and horror. Gone was her courageous, if impulsive, bravado. Present, an expression fit for a frightened child.

A long eraser, designed for easier cleanup of chalkboards, stuck through her chest. Some blood slowly oozed out of the wound, along with bits of what appeared to be _organs_. Small bits that either represented what remained, or parts that were severed off. The eraser itself had a coating of blood on it and stuck out at least _a few inches out of the zoner's chest_.

The sight of this horrified everyone in the room, save for Dr. Von Doktor, who held the eraser, standing behind Helga and smiling gleefully. No one spoke a word, too stunned by what happened to even react.

The zoners that had rushed in so willingly, so determined to fight, were now shocked into silence, horror washing over their faces. Their eyes were wide as they appeared to realize just what they had gotten themselves into. They swallowed in fear, glancing at each other nervously. Many were shaking, a few taking a few steps back. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy did what they could to calm the zoners, but they had a hard time, their eyes glued on the horror that laid before them.

Rudy and Penny glanced looks of terror. Neither of them could believe that this had happened. They wondered if this was some kind of horrible dream and that they'd wake up soon. Yet when they looked back, they could still see Helga standing there, eraser still through her chest.

Rudy's lower lip quivered at this. _How..how could he have let this happen_..? He should have reacted faster. He should have done something sooner. Why didn't he try harder to get Helga to leave?

He looked over at Blocky. He was glad that the angle that Von and Helga stood was a bit too far for him to see completely. But he was able to see enough to realize what happened. The injured and tormented zoner's eyes widened further and he let out a series of confused and pained whimpers. He began to struggle against the cuffs more. The poor guy was so terrified...

A sickening slurp sound cause Rudy to turn his head back towards where Von stood. He had slipped the eraser out of Helga's body. She dropped down onto her knees as it was removed. Rudy and many others had to hold back their vomit when they saw the gaping hole. They could see some of her ribs, muscle, and a bit of her organs. Their view rapidly became obscured by the flow of fresh blood from the wound. Helga held onto her stomach, her eyes wide in fear. She looked over at Von, her eyes filled with the question of '_why_?'. A few tears formed in her eyes as Von didn't respond to her silent question and just smiled at her.

With a gasping breath, crimson fluid pouring from her mouth, Helga slumped ot the ground. Her body hit with a sickening thud. A pool of blood rapidly formed unerneath her. Helga's breathing became shakier and weaker, and in seconds, her chest stopped rising. It only took a moment for Rudy to realize what happened.

Helga had died. And Von was her killer.

Von raised the now bloodied eraser up, brandishing it almost like it were a sword. "Ah..zo zat'z how zeze babiez work... _How fazinating_..."

The horrified zoners stared at the man in horror and, slowy, they began to back away. Some were shaking their heads in denial, as if they didn't want to believe that this had just happened. A few of them looked at the man in the eyes. Judging from their expressions, they looked as if they wanted to say something, but they had been rendered speechless.

The first one brave enough to get closer was Snap and his friends. Rudy and Penny watched as the three zoners approached the fallen zoner. They examined her carefully, briefly. Rapsheeba put her fingers against her throat to check for signs of life, desperately hoping, against the odds, that she was live. But just as Rudy and Penny thought initially, it was too late. The humanoid zoner lowered her head and shook it.

Despite not knowing Helga that well, Rudy couldn't help but feel sorry for her. What a way to go... Having something shoved through her chest cavity... _To be alive long enough to remember it going in_... That was just the _worst_...

"H-Helga...?" The meek male from before said. He approached the fallen form of the zoner he had hung out with for an unknown reason. "Sis-Sister...? It's me... Arnold..." He laid his hand on her head. "Come on.. You have to get up..."

Rudy felt as though ice shot through his chest. So...that's why he kept following her around despite how he had been treated.

Arnold nudged against her. "_Please wake up... please_..."

Snap approached Arnold. He put his hand on his arm. Arnold stared down at him, his eyes watery and mouth open. Snap shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, buddy. It's too late. She's gone."

Arnold took in a few shaky breaths. He shook his head in denial. "No.. It's not too late..." He attempted to lift up Helga. "_Please_! Show them they're wrong! _Wake up_, Helga! Please!"

Several zoners rushed forward and grabbed onto the frantic, panicking zoner. They worked together to drag him backwards, staring at him with stern yet solemn expressions. Arnold kept calling out, shouting at Helga's lifeless form, begging her to open her eyes. It was rather heartbreaking to listen to. Eventually, the zoner stopped struggling and he hung his head. His shaky sobs filled the room.

Rudy stared at him sadly before fixating an angered expression towards the evil man who had caused this pain and suffering. Just who did this guy think he was? What made him think he had the right to do something like this? What did Helga, or Blocky or any of these zoners, ever do to him? He formed a shaky fist with his hand, wanting so much to charge towards him and _make him pay_.

_No_... His rational mind still had a hold over him. Despite his anger, he was still able to think clearly. He knew that if he tried to take action against this man now, he may soon regret it. No, he had to erase the portal. Get these zoners back, and erase the portal. But of course, he wouldn't erase it until he was certain that the vile scientist had no way to get into ChalkZone. He was _not_ taking chances.

Rudy wretched himself free of the zoners. This was easy due to them being too distraught and shocked over Helga's sudden death. Rudy didn't bother listening to see if Von was going to say anything. He quickly moved towards Penny. He grabbed onto her to get her attention.

"Penny, unhook Blocky and take the zoners towards the portal!"

Penny stared at him in confusion. "_But Rudy_... We don't know where the portal is..."

"_I do_!" Snap said as he approached his friends. A quick glance up revealed that Rapsheeba and Howdy were still by Helga's body. They looked almost as though they were attempting to defend her body against whatever Von was threatening to do to it. Rudy paid his words no mind as he focused on Snap. "I can lead them out of here! But... Bucko.._what about you_?"

Penny turned to Rudy expectantly. "Yeah, Rudy. What are you goign to do?"

Rudy narrowed his eyes in determination. "I'm going to keep his attention. I'll make sure he's distracted while you guys flee."

Penny widened her eyes. "_No, Rudy_! You can't do that by yourself!"

"Yeah Bucko! We're sticking with you!" Snap cried out. He made desperate gestures with his hand. "You're just a little boy in your own world, Rudy! You can't..."

Rudy raised up his hand, silencing both of his friends. He stared at the two of them sadly, a small, faint smile spreading across his face. "I know what I'm doing. I know the risks involved. I will be fine. I promise."

His friends didn't look convinced. They stared at him with wide eyes, shaking their heads in denial. Neither of them wanted to back down from this. Neither of them looked like they were going to move anywhere. Their feet remained planted firmly on the ground. Although they did not speak, their eyes did most of the talking. He knew that message anywhere.

They were going to be with him, whether he liked it or not.

Rudy clenched his teeth. He wished that his friends would be more reasonable. They didn't have time to formulate a better plan right now. They had to get going before the mad scientist decided to stop toying with the zoners verbally. For the moment, he didn't hear them speaking, or at least, he never indicated it. Who knows how long this was going to last?

There was little choice left. Someone had to keep the man busy and it had to be him. After all, the man had the most beef with him. He was the one who ruined his reputation, made him lose everything. He could keep the man's attention quite easily, or at least he hoped.

But his friends... They _had_ to go. They were both important for helping the zoners. They both played a key role. They had to go now, leave him behind. There was no choice.

"Penny, you have to go. You have to erase the portal when they leave." Rudy said as he stared at her in the eyes. He placed his hand against hers. "The zoners can't do that and you know it. Please...have them go through the portal and then erase it so Von can't hurt them again." Rudy then turned to Snap. "And you know where the portal is hidden in this building. You need to help Penny get to it, so that she can erase the portal once you guys all head through."

"But Rudy..." Penny started to say. "We can't just leave you behind."

Rudy narrowed his eyes. "You have to. There _isn't_ a choice here." Rudy looked from Penny and then to Snap. "You both should know that. So go on. _Get out of here! Lead the zoners to safety_!"

Snap shook his head slowly. He sucked on his lip, staring at Rudy in desperation. "Please, Bucko... There must be another way to do this..." He whispered softly. "Why don't you come with us?" He reached his hand out towards him. "Who knows what that creepazoid will do to you?"

"Yeah, Rudy. Dr. Von Doktor has gone insane!" Penny said. "He might.."

Rudy glanced down at Blocky. "What about _him_? He needs to get to a hospital, you guys. He's badly hurt. I-I don't know how long he can..." He couldn't finish, a few tears forming in his eyes.

_Poor Blocky_... He had once been one of the happiest zoners he'd ever met or created. He would always look forward to almost any adventure he had been a part of. Now he was reduced to a whimpering mess, his body a canvas for many a wound. _He needed help_, and here they were, wasting time talking.

Rudy immediately uncuffed the zoner. The cuffs weren't too difficult to remove. At least they didn't require any keys. He just needed to work the clamps until they became dislodged. Once he was free, he gently picked up Blocky, careful not to irritate his wounds further. He stared down at Blocky sadly, biting his lip. The way his friend was staring up at him like that...

"It's okay.." Rudy whispered softly. He lowered his head and gently pressed his forehead against Blocky, careful not to irritate him. "You'll be okay.. I promise..."

The zoner didn't reply. The poor guy was too much pain, and the terror that had been struck into his heart from nearly being vivisected... He couldn't blame the guy for not speaking. He turned to Penny and held out Blocky's body towards her. The girl carefully eased the zoner into her arms, gently holding him.

"Please...get him to safety, Penny." Rudy said. He stared at his friend, his eyes filled with a pleadingness that he only ever displayed in the most urgent of situations. "You're his one chance now."

"I..." Penny still looked reluctant to leave Rudy behind. She stared at Rudy, clenching her teeth. She then looked down at Blocky. She listened to him moan in pain, watched as he cried softly in her arms. She soon closed her eyes and sighed. She then shot a glare at Rudy. "You can count on me."

Rudy smiled. "Thank you." He looked down at Snap. "Can I rely on you to help Penny and the zoners get back to the portal?"

Snap bit his lip, staring at Rudy in desperation. He then took a moment to look at Blocky, Penny, and then he looked back at the other zoners. Seeing the situation, appearing to round it all off in his head, he turned back to Rudy and gave an affirmative nod. "I'll try my best, Bucko."

Rudy couldn't help but smile. He knew he could count on his friends. He wanted to say something more to them, but as he saw Von take a step towards Rapsheeba and Howdy, he knew that there was no time left for that. He immediately ushered them. "_Go on! Get out_!"

He watched as his friends began to make their move. They began to rush towards the zoners. He didn't watch them for long. Instead he turned his sights on the man who 'deserved' it the most: _Dr. Von Doktor_.

sss

"I have to wonder what it _taztez like_." Dr. Von Doktor said in a cruel tone of voice. "If she's chalk, does her flesh taste like chalk, too?"

"_No! You won't touch her_!" Howdy said. His voice was shaky, but despite that, there was clear bravery in his voice.

"We will not let you disgrace her death like that!" Rapsheeba snarled, earning a couple nods from the other zoners.

There was _no way_ that Rapsheeba was going to allow this..this vile human do anything to this poor zoner. Wasn't it bad enough that he killed her for no fucking reason? Helga hadn't done a damn thing to him and yet he still skewered her through the chest like it was nothing. And he thought that she was just going to back down like _that_? He had another think coming.

She and Howdy stood protectively in front of her dead body. They stared hatefully at the man as he towered over them. They listened to the whimpers of Arnold, the horrified gasps and whispers of the other zoners, fueling their desire to stand up to Von even more.

Dr. Von Doktor chuckled at this, a sneer spreading across his face. "Well, I didn't zay it had to be her..." He took a couple steps towards the zoners. His eyes fixated on Rapsheeba. "You will do _nizely_."

Rapsheeba cringed back, staring at the man in fear. But she did not run. She formed fists with her hands, baring her teeth in anger. "You will not get..."

"Rapsheeba! _Come on_!" Snap cried. "We have to get out of here!"

Rapsheeba turned her head, watching as the blue superhero zoner approached her, waving his hands in the air frantically. Following close behind him was Penny, and she was holding something in her arms. Rapsheeba gaspedi n horror, putting her hands to her mouth, when she realized who it was.

"B-Blocky..." The singer zoner said as she reached out towards the zoner.

Blocky looked horrible. Pale, shivering, whimpering constantly, covered in _blood stains and bruises, bandages_... It was clear that her friend had been put through a lot. _So much misery_... What did the poor guy do to deserve this? Her mind flooded with so many questions. The more she tried to push them out, the more they began to crowd her mind.

Why didn't she move faster? Why didn't she think fast enough? Wasn't there anything she could have done to prevent this tragedy? There had to be something she could have...

"_Queenie! Come on_!" Rapsheeba grunted as she felt Snap push against her. "Let's get out of here!"

Rapsheeba looked down at the body. "But..what about..."

"No time!" Snap called out, his voice tinged with regret. "If we don't move now, then we may never get another chance!"

"_No don't! Don't leave her behind! Please_!" Arnold called out in desperation. He reached his hand out forward. "Please bring her with! She doesn't deserve this!"

Rapsheeba knew he was right. Helga may have been an ass, but she didn't deserve this kind of fate to befall her corpse. She deserved a proper burial in ChalkZone. But, with Dr. Von Doktor around, the direness of the situation, and Blocky, did they really have time? She could have one of the zoners grab on, but who knows how much time they had left?

There was _no_ choice. They had to act _now_.

Rapsheeba turned to the other zoners. "Everybody! _Run_!"

"Follow me and Snap!" Penny shouted as she began to run towards the door, Snap positioning himself in front of her.

Rapsheeba felt a little dizzy. Everything was happening so fast. She could barely register the zoners' words as they questioned where they were going or what the plan was. She barely remembered when she had started to run. She couldn't make sense of where each zoner was, except for Snap and Blocky up ahead with Penny, and Howdy who ran beside her. She could hear desperate shouts from Arnold, who was being dragged away, but everything else was muddled.

Then a shout rang through the air when she believed she was getting close to the exit. It had only been a few seconds, but in all the confusion, she had completely lost track of that. The shout was enough to shake her back to her senses and she turned towards the voice.

"Where do you zink you zonerz are going? Ztay here!" Dr. Von Doktor said, raising up the eraser threateningly. "If you ztep out of zat door, I am going to..."

"_Leave them alone_!"

Rapsheeba's eyes widened in shock as she saw Rudy jump in front. He spread his arms out, glaring hatefully at the man. "If you want to get to them, you will have to go through me first!"

Dr. Von Doktor's eyes twinkled at this. His expression did not betray any desite of what he felt of the idea. "Zat can be arranged..."

Rapsheeba gasped in horror at this, widening her eyes. She wanted to go back and help. But as soon as she and Howdy tried to go back, one of the larger zoners grabbed them in his large arms and wisked them away.

"We need to get going now!"

"But..but Rudy...he..." Howdy stared to say.

"Rudy will be _fine_!" The large zoner insisted. "He can take care of himself!"

Rapsheeba squirmed in his arm. She tried to wriggle herself free. She looked over at Penny and Snap. Why weren't they trying to help their friend? Didn't they realize what was going on? But then she caught a glimpse of their expression, and when she saw _grim acceptance_, she knew what was going to happen.

The female zoner turned her head and watched as Von approach the boy. The look of anger that melted from his eyes even from this distance told the zoner how stronger a desire for revenge against Rudy was in comparison to getting any of them. Her heart clenched when she realized just what kind of trouble the little boy was in.

"Rudy!" Rapsheeba called out. She reached her hand out towards Rudy while she was being carried off. "_No_!"

Her voice got cut off when they got out of the room and one of the zoners slammed the door shut. Rapsheeba and Howdy were helpless to do anything as they were carried down the hallway.


	31. Chases

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 31: Chases

_**Fourth rule: If the boogeyman sees you, run.**_

sss

Dr. Von Doktor scowled as he glared at the boy in front of him. Memories came flooding back to him, recalling how this boy had tricked him, humiliated him, whatever else. His desire to get revenge on him caused his blood to boil. His logical side was numbed, fueled only by raw emotion as he stood a few feet in front of the boy.

His enraged side continued to only see red as he glared at the boy, his mouth ticking into a twisted smile. He was going to enjoy this. He would force the boy to feel what it was like having his reputation torn apart. He was going to know what it felt like to be scorned and mocked by his peers. Oh, he would make the boy pay for all that he had done to him. He was alone in this room with him and he...

..wait..._alone_...? Wait a minute...

In the midst of the man's rage and anger, some of his logic started to come back. His mind began to think a little more clearly and he took a moment to look around the room.

_It was empty_. Save for him and the boy, it was empty. There was no one else here. The only sound that could be heard was his own breathing, as well as the boy's. The man's expression softened up for a few seconds, his eyes locking onto the boy. Rudy simply glared at him, his body remaining in a defensive posture. Then, once the realization truly hit him, his eyes widened in shock.

He had been played. He had been tricked again. _This boy_... He must have known how he was going to react. He must have realized that he would be so consumed with emotion that he would focus only on him and not anyone else.

The man couldn't believe it. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have allowed himself to be tricked utterly like that? He should have been able to realize what was going on. He should have noticed the zoners leaving. He should have noticed that his 'patient' Blocky was stolen from him. And yet his own anger and rage got the better of him, and he had made such a foolish act. He knew that going after Rudy wasn't the best thing to do right now, and yet, that's exactly what he had done.

As a scientist, he should have realized the fallacy of that mistake before he even made it. He felt like such an idiot. What kind of scientist is tricked and made into a fool by a ten year old boy? He was supposed to be the smarter one here, and yet the boy, he had...

That's when he realized that he had fallen for the boy's trick yet _again_. This was the second time that the kid had made a fool out of him. He glared at the boy, his lips curling back into a snarl. He had been made fun by this boy for the last time. Now, he was going to make sure that he doesn't get another chance.

"_You_..." Dr. Von Doktor said as he took a few steps towards Rudy. The boy moved back, but did not break out into a run. "Do you have any idea what you..."

Suddenly, he stopped. A realization dawned on him. No... He wasn't going to fall for this. He realized this was exactly what the boy wanted him to do. _Yes_... His scientific mind was now in control once more. And it took him only seconds to realize the boy's little plan.

He was trying to get him to stay here while the others escaped. At first, he didn't know exactlly where they could go. But there was that portal, right? The one that was still open? Yes, that was the one. That was where they were going. And he bet that little Penny was going to erase the portal and think everything was going to be fine. The children think they have him beat. They think they've won. Oh how sadly they were mistaken... Did they forget that he still had a piece of magic chalk? Or did they not know?

No matter. At the moment, that didn't matter to him. Right now, he was going to have a little bit of fun toying with the boy. Dance around his expectations, and make him feel like such a fool.

"What do you take me for, little boy?" Von spoke as he adopted a more neutral stance. He held up a hand, curling his fingers inward, watching the tips flex. Rudy watched warily, his teeth gritted as if prepared for a fight. "Oh you are zomezing!" Von laughed coldly at the boy's pathetic display of courage. "You dezerve a metal, don't you zay?" He motioned his hand towards him. "Only zomeone like yourzelf is mozt dezerving..." He brought his hand to his head, pressing his face against it. "Juzt a shame I don't have anyzing..."

He kept this somewhat neutral stance for a while, confusing the boy. He watched him out of the corner of his eyes. Rudy clearly didn't know what to make of this, yet he did not back down or try to run away. He formed fists with his hands, looking ready for a fight. This only made Von's smile broaden.

Oh how easily the boy is manipulated. Sometimes he had to wonder just how Terry Bouffant had such a hard time with him. He was only ten years old. It didn't take much to outsmart someone that young. Well that certainly spoke volumes about Terry. No wonder she became a lowly newsreporter. It was probably the _only_ job someone like her could get.

But enough about _her_. Now, he only focused on Rudy. How should he deal with him? He couldn't spend too much time in here talking with him. His building was large, but it didn't mean he had infinite time. He needed to think of something and quick.

Ah yes, that would do just fine. His smile spread further across his lips. This became more pronounced as he saw the boy's eyes widen further. He took a step forward.

"You know what I juzt realized?" Von said in an almost casual tone as he began to walk around the child slowly, like a vulture ready to attack its prey. "You are a _fraud_."

Rudy stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about? I never lied about anything."

Von chuckled at this. "Oh you are zuch a poor liar, Rudy. For shame!" Von continued to walk aroudn the boy slowly, deliberately. His sneer spread a little further, his eyes almost never leaving Rudy. His arms folded behind his back. "You claimed zat you dizcovered perpetual motion."

"No I never said that! It was _you_ who..."

Von cut him off. "You claimed you could have changed zee world."

Rudy shook his head. "You're lying!"

Von didn't care. He just kept going. "You zought you were zomezing zo zpecial. Everyone would have practically worshipped you. Zat iz what you wanted, izn't it, kid? To be recognized. To be famouz. To be known as the child who changed zee world."

"You're wrong! I _never_..."

"But inztead, _you lied_. You broke my heart. You shattered everyone'z heartz." Von said. He placed a hand against his chest, looking at the boy with mock sadness. "You used zee world you had claimed for yourzelf to get ahead of everyone elze. You used zat world az a tool for yourzelf, and yet you dare try to ztop me, and you dare to call _me_ zee one who..."

"_Shut up! You're wrong! I never did that_!" Rudy growled. He turned his head left and right, watching as the man walked around him. It was clear the boy was not going to back down. "I would never do something like that! It was an accident! I never meat to forget to draw a power source!"

"And yet you ztill znuck into ChalkZone to create zee devize... Am I right?" Von asked. He knew there was only one way for one machine to have a power supply while the other had a plug. "You ztill went in zere and drew zomezing zat you did not build yourzelf." He stopped for a moment. He stared down at Rudy with a criticizing eye, tilting his head to one side. "You used zat world, Rudy. Zee world zat you are trying to keep me out of... It waz juzt a _tool_ for you in zee end, wazn't it?"

Rudy shook his head in denial. "N-No.. I..."

Von's smile spread further. "_You used it like it waz nozing_. And yet I'm sure you'd get zore wiz me if I tried zomezing like zat. Oh how _hypocritical_ of you, boy."

Rudy took a few steps back. His eyes widened a little. Von could only smile at this, realizing that he had hit a sore spot with the boy. He watched as Rudy shook his head again, glaring at him. "I-I was just..."

"Faze it, boy. You lied to everyone. Even if you did create a power zource, the point iz, you did not make it yourzelf. You drew it in zat world. You put zero effort into it. And you took attention away from ozerz who put _true effort_ into zeir work, like your _own friend_." Rudy's eyes widened at this. Von pressed further. "I wonder how she took it. Tell me, Rudy. Did she congratulate you? Or did she rip you to shredz for getting zee attention she dezerved more zan you?"

Rudy stared at the man, backing away, gritting his teeth. At this point, he didn't even try to respond. Von wasn't sure if this was because he was getting the boy worked up or if Rudy truly was guilty. The reason however, mattered not to Von. With the boy in this state, he could begin the second part of his plan.

He took position in front of the boy. He walked towards him, continuing to move forward regardless of how close he was. This forced Rudy to back away from him. The boy's eyes never left his as he moved backwards, trying to keep a good distance away from him. Soon, the boy tripped and he fell into the ground. Von stopped his advance and stood in front of him, watching as the boy climbed up to his feet. The boy watched him warily, his narrow eyes glaring right at him.

Von couldn't help but smile at this. The boy was spending so much time watching him that he wasn't even comprehending what he was trying to do. This was going to be _so easy_...

Suddenly he realized just how much time he had wasted. _Drat_... His eagerness to toy with the boy had cost him precious time. He had wanted to draw this out sooner, but there was no time for that. He needed to act now.

"I do want to azk you one more zing, Rudy, before I forget." Von said. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, his eyes turning up towards the ceiling. "How well are you in a tuzzle?"

Rudy stared at him in confusion. "What are you..."

Von didn't give the boy a chance to respond. He suddenly rushed forward, his feet pounding the ground heavily. Rudy didn't have any time to react. Despite his old age, Von was quite quick on his feet and it took him only seconds to collide with the boy. His hands gripping his shoulders tightly, he lifted the boy up into the air and began to rush him backwards.

The boy struggled, trying to get free. Von responded by tightening his grip on him. He moved as fast as he could, keeping the boy up in the air, held out in front of him. Then, once he got close enough, he pulled the boy close to him then shoved him forward as hard as he could.

Suddenly there was a loud scream. It bounced off the walls, intermixing with a sickening wet sound. Rudy's eyes were bulged open, so much that Von could make out more details of his eye than normal. He watched as the boy's body stiffened up, his mouth dropping open as he gave a series of pained heaves. The man's eyes lowered down, locating the source of the boy's discomfort.

_An incredibly long and rusted nail_...

"Oh _dear me_. I had forgotten about zat _nazty little zing_." Von said in a mocking voice. "Do you need any _help_?"

Rudy didn't answer him. He clutched his stomach, whimpering in pain. He gave a few pitiful coughs. The nail peaked out of his stomach. Just barely, but still there. Little blood could be seen, but the effects were clearly shown in the boy's face and body. His face was contorted in agony and his body was hunching, writhing, as if tryign to escape some invisible grasp.

Soon he dropped down onto his knees. His grip on his stomach became tighter. He looked over at Von, his teeth clenched tightly, his eyes filleds with fear and pain. He took in a few heavy breaths, each one becoming shakier as the time passed.

Von moved closer to Rudy. The boy, unable to try to get away fast enough, in so much pain, only stared at the man as he got closer to him. Soon, Von was only about two feet in front of him. He towered over the boy, watching down at him with sick satisfaction. He loved the look in his eyes. He loved the feeling of power he had over him. A part of him so wanted to treasure this moment, and obsess over making him pay for what he had done to him.

But no, as much as he wanted to do that, he reminded himself again of the mission, his plan to regain his dignity, to showcase to the world of a wonderous discovery that could change everything. As much as he wanted to vent more frustration out on the boy, he had bigger fish to fry. _But first_...

Von knelt down in front of the boy. He stared at him in the eyes, his smile growing twisted. "Oh you _poor poor zing_. Here..let me help you wiz zat."

Von reached over and he gripped Rudy by his arm. He twisted it roughly, making the boy flinch. He then reached round behind the boy. He grabbed onto the nail and he began to twist it inside of him. He twisted as hard and roughly as he could, making the boy scream louder. Then he pushed the nail even deeper into him, forcing the nail to peak out more in his stomach.

This act made Rudy scream again. Von released him and moved back. He folded his arms as he watched as Rudy collapsed to the ground. The little boy laid on his side, curled up into a ball, holding his stomach. A bit of blood started to form, mostly from his mouth corner. The boy seethed in agony a few times before looking up at him with one eye. He let out a series of moans and whimpers, his body trembling with a mixture of fear and pain.

Von had wasted enough time with him. He decided not to say another word to Rudy. He simply turned around and began to walk away. He left the boy to his fate. He didn't know if he would survive the injury or not. And right now, that didn't matter.

What did matter were those zoners. The ones that were trying to escape. The ones that Rudy was helping to buy time for. He needed to stop them before they had a chance to get to that portal. He was not going to let them get away. _And once he found them_...

He was going to go all out. No more holding back. What he did to Rudy was just the _beginning_.

sss

_No... This couldn't be happening... No.. He had to do something... Anything_.. Yet he couldn't move. He couldn't get up. He remained on the ground, his body wracked in pain.

Rudy's mind swirled as he replayed the events in his mind. How did he not see this attack coming? He knew how _more_ dangerous Von had been getting. He should have realized just how unstable he was. He should have gotten out of the way when he had the chance. Instead, he foolishly believed that Von would never go _this_ far, and now he had a nail driven right through him.

Rudy tried to get up again. But anytime he tried, anytime he bent his body a certain way, an intake of breath was excruciating, forcing him back on the ground. He kept his arms wrapped around his body, his breathing slow and shaky, each breath stinging his insides.

He couldn't stay here, though. His friends were in danger. He could no longer keep his attention, and he wasn't able to hold it that long to begin with. This realization filled him with shame. He had been working off the belief that he could keep Von from following them in the tunnels for several minutes. The man appeared to hate him so much, more so than with Penny, and he thought that his challenging him would have kept him busy for a while. But the fact that only about _five minutes_ had passed, at least, since he told Penny to run...

There was no way that his friends and the zoners got that far in five minutes. This building was massive. Even without the security system turned on, that didn't make it any quicker to get from point A to point B. And he didn't even know where his chalkboard had been placed. If it were on a higher or lower level, then his friends are going to need to find the stairs first, and depending on what level it was on...

The small boy attempted to climb up to his feet again. He ignored the pain that gripped his chest and stomach, holding his hand against it. He forced himself up, his feet skidding as he tried to manage to get on his feet once more.

Soon he stood up, in spite of the pain, but he wasn't able to keep himself straight. He wobbled back and forth, side to side, as he struggled to keep himself from falling over. He held his hands out, waving them around in an attempt to balance himself. He took a few steps forward, his legs shaky and wobbly. Much of the time, at least one leg was bent, the whole limb shaking as he struggled to prevent himself from having his face make contact with the floor.

He lifted up his head and glared towards the door that Von had run out of for several moments. He took in a few quick breaths, tightening the pressure against his underside. Then he began to make his way towads the door. Each step was painful and shaky, and a few times he nearly tripped over again. But against the odds, he was able to get over towards the door.

Once he reached it, he felt a sudden jolt of pain. With a gasp, he grabbed onto the door handle. He leaned against it, his feet starting to slip from underneath him. He tightened his grip on the door further, pressing his head against the cold surface, and gritted his teeth.

He held on, trying to ride out the pain. It was difficult and it felt as if, as the seconds passed, the pain only continued to get worse. He felt a few tears drip down from his eyes. He wanted so much to pull the nail out. He wanted to grab it and yank it so that he didn't have to feel this pain anymore. But he couldn't. Doing so would only _worsen_ the wound and cause further bleeding. He had no choice but try to tolerate the pain the best that he could.

While he hung on, he tried to focus on what he was going to do next, in spite of the agony that he was in. He needed to warn his friends somehow. But...there was little he could do. How was he going to be able to warn them when he had no way of catching up to them before Von?

What he needed was a way of contacting them without having to find them. But the idea seemed so ludicrous. How could he do that? It was as if he would need a...

..._disembodied voice_.

_That's it_.

Rudy turned his gaze towards the signs. Although his vision got a tad blurry due to the pain, he was still able to read the sign. He didn't know what parts of this building still worked, but maybe the office was still in tact. _And if it was still running_...

Rudy realized that, back when Von had a lot more people working for him, he needed a way to communicate with everyone, right? He couldn't just pop in and out of rooms all the time to keep everything in order, or to request the audience of one person. No, he would need something to send messages without having to visit many locations. And the best way to do that? An intercom system.

Rudy, knowing that he didn't have much time, began to limp down the direction that he believed the office was in. He ignored the pain the best he could, going as fast as possible.

He hoped he would get there in time. And he hoped that, until he got there, his friends would be able to hang on.

sss

Snap ran as fast as he could down the hallway. He didn't stop to see who was behind him. He could feel his chest feeling like it was on fire. He took in several quick breaths, his throat feeling dry and scratchy. He wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to keep this up. But still he ran, unwilling to stop, even for a second, not even for rest.

He hoped that Rapsheeba and the others would be fine. He was grateful that Howdy was still willing to lead them. He was the only other one who knew where the portal was. He would easily be able to get Penny and the other zoners over there, get them all back to safety, and making sure that Blocky could get to a hospital. He knew that Howdy, despite his awkwardness, and despite how he might feel, would do really good as a leader. All he had to do was remain confident and assertive enough to get the zoners to follow him. It wasn't going to be easy, but he knew that Howdy could do it if he tried.

Snap would lead himself if he could. But he would not be able to do that anymore. And it was all because of this crazy idea that he had. He wasn't even sure how long it was going to work.

He had been so moved by Rudy's sacrifice that he had developed a similar idea in his mind. He didn't mention anything to the others yet. He didn't want to execute it unnecessarily. After all, Rudy was doing what he could to keep the vile man busy. It was bes to just reserve it just in case.

_But then that just in case happened_.

As they were about to turn onto another hallway, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. They turned around and they could see, in the distance, Dr. Von Doktor coming towards them. Snap remembered the feeling of cold terror that rushed through his body at this realization. The ramifications were quite apparent. _Rudy_... He must have been...

But he couldn't stand around and ask himself too much of what could have happened. He needed to flee, running as fast as he could. It was then that he had initiated the plan. Without Rudy, someone had to take over the role as bait, distractor. And that was going to be him.

Before Rapsheeba or Howdy or Penny could argue with him, Snap ran off. He told the others to make a run for it while he kept the creepazoid busy. He hoped he would be able to hold him off long enough.

Snap dashed headlong towards him, his feet pounding the ground as his teeth were clenched. He lowered his head and, when he got close enough, he rammed his head against the man, just enough to startle him. The plan worked and he had immediately gotten his attention. Snap followed this up with an insult, securing the man's attention on him.

For an old guy, Von sure could move _fast_. Snap had to work extra hard to keep running, doing what he could to keep ahead of him. He needed to make sure there was a good amount of distance between him and the man, ensuring that he would be able to stop and have a couple seconds to make a decision at intersections. He wanted to make sure that he led him away from the room with the portal, not towards.

The small zoner was glad that Von didn't really notice the other zoners. His attention had been on him completely; he had paid everyone else no mind. He had only shouted out towards Snap and he had made a run for him. Snap could relax knowing that the man had no idea where the others were.

But he didn't know how long he would be able to keep this up. He could already feel his legs getting tired. His heart pounded so loud in his head that he couldn't even hear the man's footsteps behind him. Yet he knew he was there. He could practically feel his aura, creating an uncomfortable tension as he continued to flee down the hallways.

There had been a few times where the small zoner had nearly been caught. They were such _close_ calls and both times, his heart nearly froze in horror. He had almost tripped once and the other time, he had hit against the wall. Both times delayed him, and it was almost enough for Von to catch up to him. He managed to get away, but not before nearly getting grabbed by that awful man.

At least it had been smooth sailing from there. The man had even stopped hurling insults at him, allowing Snap to concentrate on running and keeping him from his friends. No further incident had nearly caused him to get caught and he was able to lead the vile man further away from where the others were. So long as he kept this up for a few more minutes, he could lose Von and head back and meet up with the others.

Just a few more minutes is all he needed. Just a little more time. Then everything was going to be...

Suddenly the zoner's foot snagged on something. A raised indention in the ground. His caught leg was yanked back, his body thrust forward. With wide eyes, he slammed into the ground, his chin hitting the hard surface mercilessly. He laid there, groaning in pain, before, a second later his eyes bulged open. He realized just what kind of _trouble_ he was in.

He looked over his shoulder to face Von. He didn't see him yet, but he had just turned a corner. He climbed up to his feet quickly, never taking his eyes off the corner. Any second now, that evil scientist was going to peak over, see him, then grab him. He adopted a defensive stance, waiting the fight that he knew was coming.

But as the seconds passed, nothing happened. He didn't see any shadow on the ground, no indication that Von was coming. He couldn't even hear any footsteps, or any panted, labored breathing.

Maybe he was just hiding. Maybe he was trying to catch him offguard. Snap bit his lip nervously, watching the corner carefully. He waited even longer. He turned his head slightly to one side, trying to listen and see if he could detect even just a slight sound, indicating the man's presence. But no matter how long he stood there, no matter how much time he waited, hoping to hear him, there was nothing. _Nada, zilch_.

Snap was confused. _What was going on_? Why wasn't the man coming around the corner to get to him? He had been chasing him all this time. So _why_ wasn't he coming around now?

Narrowing his eyes in determination, Snap knew that there was only one thing he could do. He needed to go around the corner. He needed to check to see where the man was. He needed to take the risk so he could determine his next course of action. A risk, but at this point, there was little else he could do.

Slowly, Snap inched his way towards the corner. It took only a couple steps to get over there. He placed his hand on the wall to brace himself. Swallowing hard, he peered over the corner...

..._and faced nothing_.

Snap took in a sharp breath at this. He felt as though his heart had turned into ice, stopping beating. His mind reeled back as realization dawned over him. He continued to stare at the empty space, his breathing quickening as he realize what this had meant.

_Somewhere along the line, he had lost Dr. Von Doktor_.

_But how? When_? At what point did the scientist lose him? Where back there did Von decide to cease the chase? His head swirled with many thoughts, and as they crowded, he began to get such an ache. He grabbed onto his head and gently rubbed it. But no amount of massage could clear his head of this kind of pain.

He couldn't believe it... _How_ did he not notice? Why didn't he stop and turn to make sure the man was still following him? How could he not have realized that the man was no longer following him? How long had he been running without the man behind him? _When did_...

He gasped in horror, his eyes bulging. He realized that he had no idea how long it had been since Von had stopped chasing him. The last time he had gotten any sort of contact from him was either the taunt or when he tried to grab him, and that had been at least ten minutes ago...

_Oh no_... Had...had the man realized what was going on and... Oh no, _Rapsheeba..Howdy..Penny_.. The others... Snap's face felt like it lost a few shades despite already being white. He stared down the hallway, a cold chill causing his body to shake.

The man had tricked him. He had kept chasing him for a time, and then, in silence, he slipped away to go after his friends, leaving him to believe that he was still being chased, and allowing him to keep on running. This gave the man plenty of time for... Snap's heart clenched as he realized that the man could have caught up with the others already. _And if he was smart enough to skirt around Rudy and fool him into thinking he was still being chased_...

Snap felt a burning, icy feeling sweep through his body at this. Dr. Von Doktor was more cunning than he had previously given him credit for. His friends...the others... _They were in danger_. He had to do something, and fast.

He couldn't stand around. He didn't have time to plan. Doing the only thing he could think of, he bolted down the hallway. He did not try to retrace his steps. Instead, he focused on going to the room where he knew that Von was going to be.

The room where the portal was being kept.

sss

How long had they been running? How long had she been trying to keep up the pace, hoping to get to the portal as soon as possible? How long had it been since all of this started?

Penny was no longer certain. All she knew right now was to run. She didn't even attempt to turn her heard to see if the others were keeping up. She could hear their footfall echoes all around, bouncing off the walls of the tunnel. Yet she hardly paid any attention to it as she realized that Snap many not be able to hold off Von for long.

Her heart ached at the memory of Snap leaving them. The realization that Rudy had been defeated hit her like a wall of bricks. She had no idea what might have happened to him, and she couldn't even turn around and try to figure out what it was. All she could do was _run_.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop the chilly feeling from rising up in her stomach. She was unable to stop her heart from racing even faster. Her mouth dropped open and she panted heavily. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it was going to explode in her chest. Her mind raced as she looked left and right, trying to find any sign of the portal up ahead. _If they didn't find the room in time_...

_What was going to happen to the others_? What would Von _do_ once he caught up to them?

No..._if_ he caught up. She reminded herself that there was still a chance they could make it. Snap was a smart zoner. He would be able to run circles around Von and keep his attention, giving her and the others time to make their get away. She had to try to place more faith in her friend. He..he could do this. She had to believe he could.

She looked down at Howdy. The zoner, despite his size, was able to keep ahead of her. Not too much, but enough that she didn't have to worry about accidentally tripping over him. He was looking around as well, as if trying to remember the exact path to take. Penny wanted to ask him if they were getting close, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to speak. It was as though she thought that she was going to slow everyone down if she did that, or give them away somehow.

Howdy didn't seem too panicked, judging from his motions, and she guessed that meant that they were on the right track. They must be getting close to the room by now, right? After the hallways they went down and the steps they had to traverse..yes, they must be _very_ close.

But at the same time, it still felt as though they were far away. She tried her best to keep calm, reminding herself that Von was still away from them, still had some distance to travel. As long as they kept on running, they would be fine.

"How long is this going to take?"

"Aren't we there yet?"

"_Please_, I want to go _home_..."

Penny felt her heart twist at the comments behind her. The zoners were clearly frightened, wanting to go home, realizing just what kind of mess they had gotten themselves in. They had come here, all cocky and arrogant. Now they left as terrified individuals who got a brief taste of humility. They all had seen what Von did to Helga, and they realized how easily it could have been them.

Constantly, Penny could hear the panicking zoners behind her wishing they had stayed in ChalkZone. They continued to beat themselves over what they did, lamenting that they should have thought this through more, that they should have better prepared themselves.

"Oh why was I such an _idiot_...?" One zoner said. "I really thought that we could have..."

Another zoner said, "I almost dragged my own _friend_ into _this_! I'm such an awful person!"

Penny couldn't blame the zoners for being so upset. It's always an awful sensation to bite off more than you can chew, and realize just how bad that bite was later on. But now it was too late for that. The zoners had made their choice. Now the only thing that can save them from the same grisley fate as Helga was getting to that portal before it was too late.

Soon they reached the end of another intersection of sorts. Penny looked left and right, trying to figure out which way would be the best to go. Her body tensed up when she thought she heard some kind of sound. She couldn't tell if she imagined it or not. She turned her head to Howdy and opened her mouth to speak, but Rapsheeba beat her.

"Where to now, Howdy?"

The puppet zoner looked up at his friends. His eyes were filled with concern. Penny said not a word, but she could feel a sting in her heart. She didn't like the look that he had given them.

Howdy took a few steps in front of the others. The zoner hunched a little, as though he could feel the eyes of everyone on him. He turned his head and looked down the right path, and then he glanced over at the left. He kept turning left and right, taking in the details. He licked his lips nervously, his teeth clenched tightly. He slowly turned his head back towards the others.

"_I-I don't know_..."

"What...?" Penny whispered. "You..how could you _not_ know? Didn't you..."

"I know, I know!" Howdy cried, waving his hands frantically. "But I think we took a wrong turn. We need to backtrack and.."

"_You led us down the wrong way_?!" A male zoner snarled at him. Penny turned to glare at the zoner, but he ignored her completely. "I thought you knew where the room was!"

"I _do_! I just..." Howdy started to say.

"How could you lie to us?" Another zoner said, her voice laced in some kind of negative emotion that Penny could not positively identify.

A hysterical zoner called out, "He must have been working for them all along! He has tried to trick us!"

"_A traitor_!"

"_A liar_!"

Howdy shook his head in desperation. He took a few steps back. His body hunched even more as he tried to make himself look nonthreatening. He looked at the zoners with wide, terrified eyes. He waved his hands back and forth frantically. "_No_! It's not like _that_! We were just going too fast and I didn't have time to..."

The male zoner who had spoken up before took a few steps towards Howdy, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Why should we believe anything you say?" Howdy couldn't respond to this except with a small whine.

Penny and Rapsheeba stood in front of him. They narrowed their eyes at the zoners, unable to believe what they were doing. They were trying to escape out of this building, and these lot still found the time to torment and accuse Howdy like this. Did they not realize just how much time they were wasting doing this? Did they not realize that they had to get going _now_, before they run out of time? _Before_ Von could find them?

"You should be ashamed of yourselves." Rapsheeba spoke up. Penny looked down at her with concern. She hoped Rapsheeba didn't get caught up in this for too long. They had to get going. "You shouldn't be standing around here, blaming Howdy. He at least got us away from Von, _didn't he_?"

"Well that's _only_ because Rudy and Snap kept his attention and Howdy here just kept on running." One of the zoners pointed out.

Another held out her hand in gesture. "Yeah and besides, who knows just how much time that bought us. For all we know, the crazy doctor could be right behind us and..."

The zoner never got to finish. There was a sudden, sickening wet sound, and something that was sort of like the shing of a sword, only it was distorted, and sounded softer. Everyone in the hallway froze in terror, looking on as the zoner that was just speaking had something stuck _through her chest_. Penny put her hand to her mouth as she realized this was the same eraser that killed Helga, _and that meant that_...

"I knew I would find you all here. It waz quite eazy to make zee deduction." Von said as he appeared behind the zoner. He smirked down at the frightened, choking zoner for a few seconds before he withdrew the eraser and kicked her down. He watched as she spazzed on the ground, going through her death throes. "I juzt wish you had been a little _lezz_ predictable."

Penny felt her heart skip a beat and she took a step back. Rapsheeba and Howdy stood next to her, looking equally terrified. She tried to speak, tried to say something, anything, but no words would come out. All she could do was stare at Von, her heart racing faster.

_What happened to Snap_? Did he suffer the same fate as Rudy? _What happened to Rudy_? How did Von get here so fast? How did he know where they were going to be and what path they were going to take?

The zoners were frozen in terror as well. A few moved away from Von while others looked as though they couldn't get their legs to move. Many of them began to quake in fear, their expressions asking the same question: _Just what was the man going to do now that he was here_?

However, the uneasy silence that fell upon the hallway was quickly broken when one of the zoners, whom Penny realized was Arnold, stepped up to the plate. The small, meek zoner stood a few feet away from Von, glaring at him. At first, he didn't say a word and just frowned, his teeth gritted as though he wanted to bite the man. Von cocked an eyebrow as he stared down at the zoner, looking as though he could not believe that the 'puny' little thing was trying to challenge him.

"Arnold..." One of the zoners cautioned, reaching a hand out towards him. "_Don't_..."

Arnold shot him a glare. The most intense one Penny had ever seen. It was enough to make the zoners move away from him, silencing them. He turned his attention back to Von. "You murdered my sister, you _scumbag_!"

"Oh zuch _language_." Dr. Von Doktor mocked. "Did zoze children teach your kind to zpeak like zat?"

Arnold snarled at this, forming fists and shaking them at his side. His body hunched, but unlike Howdy's, this one was clearly the beginning of an attack. Arnold kicked the ground with his foot like a bull ready to charge. A part of Penny found it hard to believe that this was _Arnold_, the _same one_ who had been pushed around by Helga and acted so timid. Judging from the expressions of the other zoners, they were just as shocked as well.

"_This is for my sister_!"

WIthout warning, Arnold charged towards Von. He lowered his head and looked as if he was about to headbutt him. Before he could complete his attack, however, Von side stepped him, letting the zoner run past. Arnold turned around and headed back towards him, only for Von to dodge yet again.

This happened a few times. Penny watched as time and again, Von sidestepped the zoner, escaping getting rammed by him. It was as though the man was just toying with him, as if he were some kind of bull in a bull fight. He hadn't even attempted to hurt the zoner yet. He was just playing with him, like this was all some kind of _game_.

Penny widened her eyes and casted a glance at her friends. It seemed as though they had the same thought as her. The man...he was _tiring out_ Arnold. _If this kept up_...

"_Get out of the way_!" Howdy shouted, cupping his hands to his mouth. "_Before he_..."

But by the time anyone said anything, it was _too late_.

Von, with a sneer on his face, stepped to the side one more time as Arnold, in a fit of rage, tried to attack him. This time, however, instead of letting teh zoner to run that far, Von instead struck down with the eraser. The object made contact, and as it did, Arnold let out a scream.

"Arnold!"

"Oh no...Arnold!"

"_Please no_!"

"Not another one!"

Penny stared in horror as the zoner fell to the ground in a heep. His body spasmed once and then went completely still. But unlike the other zoner, whom she could still see the corpse of, Arnold wasn't dead. She could see his wide, terrified eyes looking around, his eyes silently begging for help. The eraser hadn't killed him, but that didn't make the event any less gruesome. Penny almost screamed at the sight of the wound of itself.

The eraser had slashed along his back, creating a deep gash that cut through his _spinal cord_. His legs were completely limp, resting useless on the ground. His arms and hands were pushing himself up, and he tried to look up at the man, but parts of his muscles in his lower half were paralyzed, preventing him from lifting himself up to look at his attacker. Von sneered at the zoner's attempts and he pressed his foot against his back, pushing him down roughly.

"Oh you _pitiful little zing_... Can't move your little legz?" Von said with a dark chuckle. Arnold let out a whimper at this and he tried to crawl away. Von responded by pressing his foot down harder. "Well here! Let me help you with zat!"

Several screams rang out in the room. The one of fear and terror from the zoners. The one of pain from Arnold. Penny, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, trying to stop Von from doing it. But they were too late. What Von did next was as swift as it was gruesome.

He had brought the eraser down towards the zoner again. This time, he struck the legs. He erased the knees on both legs, completely severing the lower halves of the legs. Immediately, there was an ocean of blood spilling out of the legs. Arnold let out screams of pain and panic as he struggled to get away. His face paled rapidly from the blood loss and he became limp, his thud seemingly louder with the echoes of screams and cries of horrors from the zoners.

"_Zo fragile_, you zonerz are. And yet you tried to come to my world and try to teach me a lezzon. I wonder, how many of you have actually zought ziz plan zrough?" Von's taunting voice said, speaking over the horrored cries of the zoners. "Do any of you regret coming here _now_?"

Penny stared at the still form of Arnold, barely registering what the zoners were saying in response to Von. Her body trembled. Occasionally, she'd look at Rapsheeba and Snap in horror, silently asking them if this really, truly happened. They could only look at her sadly, just as shaken up as she was about this. Howdy was shedding tears of remorse while Rapsheeba kept her hands to her mouth, as if she were struggling not to scream or throw up.

It was difficult for Penny to take her eyes off of Arnold's corpse for long. It was hard to believe that, just a few seconds ago, he had been alive. Paralyzed, but alive. Now he was just as lifeless as the other zoner was. His body rested in a pool of blood, as did the other zoner that Von had murdered heartlessly. Penny could feel tears form in her eyes. She couldn't begin to imagine the pain that they must have been in when they passed on.

She shot a glare at Von. What did those zoners ever do to him to deserve this? She could probably count the first attack on Arnold as self defense, but cutting off his legs, definitely not. And impaling the female zoner? No way. He did both those things unprovoked. _What a disgusting, vile man_...

But they couldn't stay here for much longer. They had to get out of here. But with Von..._how were they going to get to the portal and get Blocky to safety_...?

She turned to look over at the zoner. He was currently being held in the arms of a different zoner. The zoner was holding onto Blocky tightly and Penny winced, thinking that the zoner was handling him too roughly. But with the way Von was looking at him, she couldn't blame the zoner for putting an extra grip on him.

"Ah...my _tezt zubject_..." Von cooed mockingly as he approached slowly, grinning. "I zee you are looking fine."

Blocky whimpered and trembled as Von got closer. The zoner that held him pressed him against himself more tightly. Blocky winced in pain, but didn't protest, and he pressed his face against him, as if hoping to hide from the man's prying eyes. "_Stay way from him_..." The zoner threatened.

"Or what? You zink you can ztop me from getting that zcientific marvel? You better zink again..." Von said, his eyes narrowing. "I am not going to allow ziz dizcovery to zlip from me." The zoner only narrowed his eyes further and took a step back. Von growled at this, but then suddenly smiled. "Of courze, you can _take hiz plaze_."

"No! Leave him alone!" Penny called out. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't allow this man to continue to get away with this. "What have they ever done to you?!"

Dr. Von Doktor turned his gaze slowly to Penny. He locked eyes onto her for a few seconds before looking back at the zoner. "Nozing really. I juzt need to experiment more. Learn more about zem."

Penny took a step forward, gesturing with her hand. "Can't you see what you are doing?" She didn't know why she was trying to argue with a madman. But still, she tried. "Can't you see how wrong this is? Can't you see that you are hurting sentient people?" She gazed at the dead zoners on the ground, biting her lip. "Those zoners you killed... They had been alive. They had hopes and dreams, and you took all of that away!" She shut her eyes, feeling a few tears form. "Don't you feel _any_ remorse?!"

Von was silent for a few moments. He then shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "Not really. But zat iz zee _harsh truz_ about zcience, Penny. Zometimez you need to alienate yourzelf in order to get zee bezt rezultz."

Penny growled at this. She shook her head. "Science doesn't mean abandoning your emotions!"

"But it iz about _logic_." Von said, not bothering to look at her. "If I liztened to my emotionz, if all zcientiztz did zat, we wouldn't have gotten zat far az a zociety."

"If you want to learn about zoners, I'm sure there is a better why than trying to kill them! Please, why can't you try to work out a more peaceful, sensible solution? I'm sure the zoners would have been more cooperative if you didn't try to mistreat, hurt, and kill them!" Penny wailed. But she knew, in the end, it was all in vain. The man was not going to listen, no matter what she said.

"Tempting...but no. It iz better, and more rewarding, to get zee anzwerz yourzelf." Von took a few more steps towards the zoner holding Blocky. "He haz provided me wiz quite a bit of answerz." He took a moment to look at the zoners around him, a sneer spreading across his face. "I wonder what would happen if I were to put zem to zee tezt."

The zoners, horrified, took a step back.

"_What_..?" Rapsheeba whispered.

"No..." Howdy said softly. "_You can't_...!"

Penny didn't say a word. She stared at the man in shock. Her eyes filled with horror as she realized the gravity of the man's words. While she was not unaware of the experiments done on Blocky, she did not take the time to take into account what all of that meant. _Not until now_.

The man had gathered up a number of data regarding zoners. He had spent days with Blocky. Tormenting him, testing him, pushing his body to the limits... And in that time, he had gathered more information about zoners than any other adult human. Not even Vinnie or Terry had gotten _this_ far. He knew how their bodies worked. He knew their weaknesses. And he had shown that with how he effortlessly killed three zoners using the same weapon. And that was just one thing. Who knows what else he knew? Who knows _what else_ he could do to these zoners?

Penny had to do something to give the zoners a chance to escape. Where they could go, right now she couldn't think of that. At the moment, what mattered was getting them away so that the man didn't have time to attack anymore of them, or to showcase any more demonstrations of his knowledge of zoner anatomy, or whatever.

And she believed she knew how.

"Hey, Von!" Penny called out.

Dr. Von Doktor froze, his body jerking once as if in irritation. He turned his head to look behind him, towards Penny. His eyes were narrowed slightly and he looked irritated, as if he couldn't believe Penny would dare interrupt him again. "What iz it? I already told you, I'm not..."

"I know. But I have a question for you." Penny said, folding her arms against her chest. Her arrogant smile spread across her face. She knew what she was about to do was risky, and she hated to worry Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky, but this was something that had to be done. There was no choice. "Why are you settling with just experimenting on the zoners? Aren't you the least bit curious about how the _magic chalk_ works?"

Dr. Von Doktor's eyes twinkled at this. "_Go on_..."

Rapsheeba looked at Penny, grabbing onto her arm. "Penny, what are you doing?"

Penny looked at Rapsheeba with a solemn expression. This did little to comfort the singer zoner. She and Howdy kept calling out to Penny as she wrenched herself free and walked towards the deranged madman.

"Yes, I can see why you would regard zoners being such a scientific breakthrough. But you're forgetting the magic chalk. A small, light, easy to carry contraption that can make _loads_ of other items, almost anything you can imagine, in a breeze!" Penny held up her hand, turning it around and examining it. "And all it takes is a human creator to wield it." She held her hand out. "None of the zoners can use it. But you and me, Dr. Von Doktor... We _can_."

Von stared at Penny, his eyes widening slowly. Penny could detect some hints of realization in his eyes. She merely smiled at him, giving him something of a taunting, tempting look. It had the desired effect as the man smiled back, his eyes and smirk filled with not-so-hidden promises. "Why Penny... I didn't know zat you had zuch a desire for..."

Suddenly, a loud sound rang through the air. High pitched and irritating, Penny had to grip her head, her teeth grinding. She dropped down onto her knees as the sound seemed to get louder, resonating on the walls. Everyone else around her, even Von, reacted negatively to the sound. Ears were covered, grunts were uttered, and a few of them begged for the sound to stop.

_What was this horrible thing_? It was like a screech, but it was distorted, and she thought she heard a ringing sound. She realized that it was some kind of horrible feedback, like from a mic that was malfuntioning. An intercom system? And the speakers on the walls were huge, making the sound that much more booming.

And then it got louder, and she thought she heard a pop and a bang. She let out a scream, feeling as though her eardrums had popped. Oh gawd, make it stop...

She soon became aware of more screaming, accompanied by a few shouts that she couldn't discern and the sound of stampeding. With her teeth clenched tightly, she opened up one eye and looked around. She caught glimpses of the zoners running away, each bolting off in a different direction. All except the one holding Blocky, along with Rapsheeba and Howdy.

Before Penny could say a word, she suddenly felt a hand grip her by her throat. She was lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall. She opened her eyes and her gaze was soon met with an infuriated Dr. Von Doktor.

"_Penny_!" Howdy and Rapsheeba cried in unison.

"I don't know how you did zat, girl..." Von said.

"B-But I didn't..." Penny started to say.

Von ignored her statement. "...but I can forgive zat. I'm a very forgiving man." He gestured to himself, and then motioned towards Penny with his free hand. "I would juzt experiment on you." He trailed two fingers along her cheek. "But _zat_ iz _illegal_. However..." He pushed his fingers against her chin. "No one zaid anyzing about you cooperating wiz me."

Penny narrowed her eyes at the man. "I'd like to see you _try_." She did her best to ignore the chill she got when the man twinkled his eyes. She prepared herself for whatever the man was going to throw at her.


	32. Hiddens

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 32: Hiddens

_**Hidden rooms are so cliche...and yet so affective.**_

sss

Rudy winced as his eardrums felt as though they were about to explode. He reached for the controls, trying desperately to turn the thing off. But _how_ did he do it? What button did he press? _Oh gawd, the noise_... It was making it impossible for him to fully concentrate. It buzzed around in his head like an angry beehive, making it possible for him to truly think about what he was doing.

His hands flailed with the controls. He pulled on the levers, pressed the buttons, whatever he could. But he wasn't able to do anything about the sound. Nothing he did was working, and the more he tried to work at this, the harder it became to do anything.

Soon, the sound got to him. He couldn't take it any longer. He pounded against the machine, which did little to it. Not even a spark. He couldn't try again, however, and all he could do was slip down to the ground. He dropped down onto his knees, his hands touching the floor. The horrible pain in his stomach increased tremendously, making him whimper loudly in pain. He remained like this for a few seconds, opening his mouth and panting. Then, seconds later, he dropped onto the ground.

He curled up into a ball. He covered his ears, trying to drown out the sound, even attempting to hum over it. _But the pain in his stomach_... More often than not, his humming became pained, briefly transforming into sobbing and whimpering than actual humming. He wanted to hold his stomach, but any time he moved his hands away from his ears, he was blasted by that horrible sound, prompting him to grab onto them again.

All he could do was lay there. He was being assaulted from more than one side. His stomach was ripped into with ease by that blasted doctor, and the dull constant pain washed over him. His ears felt like they would burst any second. The sound penetrated his skull, bouncing off the bony interior in rhythm to the washes of pain in his pain, originating from his stomach. It didn't take a genius for him to realize that he was helpless. Trapped here, unable to move or get away, forced to endure this horrific sound.

What was he going to do? He couldn't just lay here forever. But..how was he going to get away from it? His head, the dull ache, it was getting stronger. He felt like a migraine had invaded his head, forcing him to endure the horrific pain, forcing him to lay here like a sitting duck.

Raw fear swept through him as this realization struck him. He was out in the open. Nowhere to hide. If Von came in here, he would see him and he'd be free to do whatever he wanted to him. Von would know that Rudy had tampered with his equipment, and he knows that he would not be happy about it. Rudy could hear the echoes of this sound in the hallway, and he knew, from how loud and obnoxious it was, that he had to have disrupted the man's plans to some extent.

He had no idea what the condition of his friends were right now. All he could do was hope for the best. They were smart and capable. He was certain they figured a way out of this.

_But...what if they didn't_..? He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that were the case. There was no way he'd go on with life without regrettin ghis actions. He wanted his friends to all be safe, and if any of them were lost... He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to recover so well.

He had to get up. He had to get out of this room. He had to leave and go find the others. He had to help them in any way that he could. If he continued to stay here, and continued to just stair out into nothingness, or hung around in his head, he was not going to make anything better. He had to get to the others and fast. They might need his help. For all he knew, right now they were all held up at gun point and he was the only one who coud stop the scientist from doing the unthinkable.

He attempted to climb up to his feet again. Maybe if he moved quickly and covered up his ears, that would give him the opportunity that he needed. He pushed his feet on the ground, trying to get himself up. He could do this. He just had to try hard enough and...

He fell back down. He repeated this a few times, keeping his hands pressed against his head. He kept struggling to get up, his feet kicking out at the side, slipping along the hard surface. But any time he tried to get up, he ended up bending in such a way that caused him to lurch forward and fall down again. He would grab onto his stomach for a few seconds only for the blaring sound to penetrate his skull, prompting him to grab onto his head once more. After a few more tries, he gave up and he just laid there, his body shivering from pain.

How was he going to do this? He couldn't get up onto his feet like this. The wound in his stomach prevented him from letting him make affective use of his legs. Not without bending in certain ways, which, unfortunately for him, meant that he was going to irritate his wound.

The only way he was going to be able to get up was if he...let go of his head and used his hands for help. But that wasn't going to work either. It was hard enough trying to deal with the sound as it was now. But if he removed his hands from his head, even for a split second, it would send pain _wracking_ through his head, nearly _destroying_ his ear drums in the process.

So what was he going to do? There had to be someway he could get out of this room without causing himself more pain. He turned his head towards the door, gritting his teeth. It was still open. The hallways still looked empty. No shadows on the wall. No indication that he had been followed. The door way wasn't even that far. If he could just make a run for it quickly, maybe he could get out without triggering too much pain for himself. But after what he had just experienced, somehow, he realized just how difficult this task was going to be.

He realized there was another option he could try. It wasn't exactly the most well thought out idea he's ever had, and in essense, someone might think that he was, well, stupid. But he had little other choice.

It was either this or he remained stuck in this room with the blairing siren that would not shut itself off. And he knows which he would rather choose.

The young boy, keeping his arms against his body, his hands pressed against his head, began to roll sideways on the ground. Such an act took more effort than he thought and each roll irritated his injury. But it was nowhere near as bad as trying to get up, so he was able to concentrate better. He kept rolling, inching his way closer and closer towards the door. Slowly, but surely, he made his way towards the door. It woudln't take him long before he got outside.

He knew that he still wouldn't be able to get up even in the hallway. The sound was still ringing off the walls there, too. It wasn't as bad, but it was enough that he wouldn't be able to uncover his ears for a while. All he could do was keep rolling and hope that Von doesn't find him. But if Von does... Well, he will have to hope that he could get on his feet quick enough and run despite the sheering agony that would strike him in that moment.

He was soon in front of the door. He stopped for a moment and panted. His head felt swirly and muggy from all the rolling around. His muscles also ached and he felt a few sore spots in his shoulders. He needed a bit of time to rest and think about what he was going to do once he was out of the room.

He realized this was going to be a rather inefficient way of getting to his friends. He couldn't believe how weak he was being. Blocky endured more pain than this, and yet he was acting as if this was the most debilitating thing that has ever happened to him. Yes, his stomach hurt. Yes his ears hurt. But right now, there were more important things at hand. He needed to grow a bit of a spine and get to the others before he was too late. All this _rolling around_... What good was it going to do him? All it was going to do was slow him down.

_And time was not something he could afford to waste_.

He jerked his body from side to side, trying to use as much strength as possible. From left to right he turned, each time going further, getting closer to his goal. Soon he was able to flip himself onto his stomach. He stifled the yelp of pain that wanted to push its way out of his throat. He rested there for a few seconds before he continued.

He struggled with his legs, trying to get them into the right position. He pressed his foot down at his side and he pushed himself up. Again, he felt the horrible sting in his stomach, but he fought against his tears and the urge to scream as he continued to climb up to his feet. He staggered forward, struggling to keep his balance.

Altough he made it up to his feet, he didn't quite have his balance back yet. He ended up rushing forward quickly, rapidly bringing his feet forward as he struggled not to fall over. He let out an involuntary cry as he nearly crashed against the wall in the hallway. He kicked his feet in desperation, trying to 'activate the brake' before he hurt himself more. When he did manage to stop, he wobbled back a few steps before relaxing, letting out an immense sigh of relief. _Wow..that had been so close_...

Now that he was standing, he took a moment to turn his head and examine his surroundings. He didn't see anyone in the hallway, but he knew that didn't mean that he was in the clear just yet. He needed to choose a direction and head down, taking extreme care not to get spotted or make much noise.

Then again, with all these speakers around him, he knew that was going to be a problem. He snarled at the closest speaker, practically seeing the loud sounds just oozing out of it.

He couldn't believe just how poorly this all turned out. He had botched up his chance to help his friends, potentially. Yeah he might have created a distraction but that wasn't what he wanted, or hoped, to do in the first place. He wanted to send them a message, but as soon as he tried, that happened. He had no idea if this was the result of Von thinking much further ahead than he imagined, or just a stroke of bad luck. Either way, it resulted in this.

He stared down the right corridor. It seemed like a good enough place as any to go. He did need to back track after all, try to find where the others were and try to help them. He started to go down that way before he stopped and looked down the left. There was something..._odd_ about it.

The left corridor did look like the right in every way... _Except for one thing_.

There was some kind of odd _glow_. Faint, but still there. And the corridor did appear darker for some reason. He stared at it, tilting his head in curiosity. He had to figure out what this was. Maybe there was something there that could help him and his friends.

Slowly, he began to move down the hallway. His hands still pressed against his ears his body still hunched, still limping from pain, he headed down the hallway carefully, doing his best not to get spotted. He didn't see anyone down here, but that didn't mean that Von wasn't hiding somewhere, or had a hidden camera set up here or what.

And he could be lying about not having any other allies. Maybe he just said that so that they would lower their guard. He might have someone hidden in this hallway, ready to take him down at a moment's notice. He was not going to give them that chance.

So far, though, he didn't see anything unusual. At least, no cameras and no signs of anyone having been here. He saw that most of the lights were broken, which would explain why it was darker and why the glow was noticeable at all. At least one light was flickering, but it was faint and could hardly be seen. It would take Rudy a lot of concentration to truly notice all the flickers.

_But the glow_... It was still unusual. It didn't seem like it was just a room with the lights all turned on. This seemed..._different_ somehow. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Then he saw it. A door that was partially open, and the light that came out of it. The glow. This room... It had to be it, right? He quicked his pace, moving in even closer, taking care of where he stepped. He entered the room slowly, moving the door open gently enough as to not trigger any possible trap. Even as he stepped in, he looked left and right, making sure there were no hostilities in here.

The room was mostly empty. He only saw a single table in here. It was overturned and appeared dusty. There was a strange smell in the room as well. Mostly dank, which fit in with the dust that covered much of this room, including the chalkboard that was on the wall, a green surface instead of a black one.

It took Rudy a little while, but there was something else in the room that he nearly missed. It was in the back, against the wall. He didn't see it at first because of the darkness. Much of the room, especially in the back, was dark, making it hard to make out the details.

But there was something else. Something that was a bit hard to spot at first. But as he got closer, his eyes glued on the ground, he could see it. Just barely.

There was a light on the ground. A sliver that stretched along the ground, reaching the outside. This was what was causing the glow that he had noticed before. He stared at it, his eyes tracing it back to the thing in the corner. He began to move towards it slowly, cautiously, wondering what it was.

When he got close enough and his eyes adjusted, he could see that it was rectangular in shape, as well as flat, and hard. It looked as if it were split off at the sides, appearing almost like a primitive mouth, gaping, ready to bite someone's head off. Well it would appear that way if it had rows of sharp teeth sticking out at the rims.

Rudy attempted to examine it further, but the _horrible ringing soun_d, the pain in his head...oh this was going to be _harder_ than he thought. How was he going to...

Then he realized something. There were no speakers in this room. Well mostly. He did see one. But it appeared part way ripped from the wall and just sort of dangled there. It swung slowly from side to side, hanging on by just a few wires. He turned his attention towards the door. If he could shut it, he could block out most of the sound and be able to walk...well less hindered than before.

He went back towards the door. Once he reached it, he lifted up his foot. Balancing on one leg, even just for a few seconds, without use of his arms for balance was a challenge. But he soon managed to kick the door shut, causing it to click shut. Rudy realized, with a twist of his heart, that he might have trapped himself in here. But for now, he needed to concentrate on investigating that glow. He went back over.

He reached out with his hands carefully, grabbing onto the item. It wobbled a little from his touch, and appeared to be pretty light. He walked around it partially, his eyes scanning it up and down. It looked like one of those things in school. He couldn't remember the name of it, but he had usually seen them being used to punish students, or to give them somewhere somewhat private for study or doing work.

He frowned at this. Why would Dr. Von Doktor need something like this? Perhaps this was a training room? It was possible. But this seemed like an odd place to put it. It was practicallly against the wall. How would anyone get behind it?

His eyes widened in realization. He wondered...

Rudy grabbed the thing and pushed it out of the way. He let it drop onto the ground, ignoring the sound it made. Wasn't like the scientist was going to hear that over the ringing that was still spreading through the building. His eyes locked onto that the thing had apparently been used to cover up.

There was some kind of door on the ground. A latch that reminded him of outdoor cellars. It even had those...metal things.. _Gah_, he can't remember what they were called. But he'd recognize them anywhere; a family member of his had this at their farm.

The sight of this caused some confusion, but mostly shock. Why would this kind of door be here? It didn't even fit in with everything around it. It wasn't streamlined. It looked almost photoshopped in. The door was made out of dirty, chipped wood, which looked completely different from the surrounding area.

Rudy stared at it long and hard, wondering why it was here in the first place. He looked left and right, consciously wondering if he was being watched. His eyes soon returned to focus on the door. He knelt down, laying his hand on it. He shivered at the cold metal of the handle, and ran his hand along the door itself. It was definitely in bad shape and appeared as though it would fall apart any second. If he applied enough force, he could get it open.

He could see light coming out. There was a small crack in the door that allowed light to escape. But it wasn't as bright as it initially appeared to be. It was like a failing light, one that was about to go out. While this didn't tell him much, it was enough to convince him that this room was still in use for some reason. What was Dr. Von Doktor using _this room_ for?

He soon realized that he wouldn't need to force the door open. The latch appeared to still work. He grabbed onto it and pushed on it. He could hear cranking as it was pushed upward, and was secured away, granting him access to whatever was down there. He opened up the floor doors and peered inside.

The very first thing he noticed was a blackness. Shadowy, hard to tell what was down there. It didn't take him long to find the steps. Small, squeaky, and again out of place. The light that he had seen before was coming from here. There was a single row of lights, most of them busted while the remaining were either flickering and about to go out, or were very dull and barely emitted any kind of light.

He lowered himself further, doing his best to ignore the pain in his stomach. He peered underneath, his eyes shifting from side to side as he tried to see what was down there. He didn't see much outside of the tunnel leading quite a ways down.

He remained there for a few moments, trying to think of what the best move was. Should he go back and find his friends or should he investigate this? This was going to be a tough call.

On the one hand, this might lead him to something that could help in someway. Maybe there was something down here that could turn the tides for them all. Or maybe there was something here that would draw Von's attention and he could force a deal out of him.

_But then_..it could also turn out to be a _gigantic waste of time_. Maybe he would end up ruining everything for himself and for his friends. He might screw things up pretty badly if he didn't leave now to find the others. There might not be anything down here, and if Von found out he was here, he could have him arrested for trespassing, despite all that the man had done.

Rudy realized that he was going to need some time with this. He couldn't just rush into this. He needed time to think. But..he also couldn't waste too much time either. He didn't have all day to make the decision. He could either leave this important discovery to find his friends...or he could take the chance and go in here, and maybe find something that could help.

The decision, however, was made for him.

Before he could think too much on what he was going to do, he heard some kind of sound coming from the tunnel. It was faint, kind of echoy, and it drew his attention. He stared at the tunnel, narrowing his eyes slightly. He moved down the steps, ignoring the creaking, doing his best to subside the pain, as he listened intently to the sound. When he got close enough, he stopped when he realized he recognized the sound.

It sound so much like Mrs. Sanchez. At this realization, he stopped, staring ahead in shock and horror. His mind raced, trying to make sense of this.

"_Mrs. Sanchez_...?" He whispered softly.

_What_ was Penny's mom doing _here_? He..he must be mishearing this. Maybe it was something else. Maybe he... _But the sounds_.. He couldn't get them out of his head. It was moaning and groaning, and he thought he heard some screaming and crying. He couldn't tell if she was trying to speak, he could not make out any words she might be trying to say, but he could hear the inflexion on her voice. He could hear just how _terrified_ she sounded, how fear filled she was, how she wanted to get out.

Rudy felt his heart pound against his chest. His mind flashed back to Dr. Von Doktor. He had said that he let Mrs. Sanchez go. He had 'confirmed' to them that he kept his end of the bargain, and released her so she wouldn't be tormented further. And now he was hearing something that confirmed for him that this had all been a lie.

Why was the man keeping her here? Why hadn't he let her go? What purpose does she serve to him? Maybe he was keeping her as a bargaining chip just in case? But then..why down here? And why was she in pain?

Rudy narrowed his eyes. He had to go down this tunnel and see for himself what was going on. Without further delay, he continued down the tunnel, treading carefully, lightly.

The first thing Rudy took notice of was how the walls were quite uneven, as if the whole place was just dug out with cheap equipment. The walls themselves were made of twisted metal and other stuff. He could see bits and pieces laying at the sides, danging there all useless. The hole itself was circular, like he were in an underground cavern. But he knew that wasn't right. He was on a higher level. So this place, it was somehow wedged in the structure of the building. But how did this man manage this?

That was just one of many questions that swept through his head. Another one, just as prominent, was the question of what the smell was. It was even stronger now as he headed down the tunnel. He felt a sense of nausea, but thankfully, it wasn't very strong and he was able to handle himself pretty well.

The tunnel was a little longer than he thought it was going to be. But he did soon reach the end. He stopped and staired in confusion at the sight. How was this even possible to maintain in a building without causing severe stability issue? Was this a testament to how _smart_ Von was? Or one of the many ways indicating how _insane he truly was_?

There was some kind of... well husk wasn't the word he'd use, but that was the closest thing to describe it. It was kinda round mostly, but still retained a kind of squarish look. It was wedged between two floors, the mesh of the building encircling around it, except for the path he was in, that is. It was isolated away from everything else, and looked large enough to be able to house multiple individuals.

He noticed there was a door. Just like the one he came in before, this was wooden and old, making him wonder if this was part of a lost floor level, although he couldn't grasp his mind how this was possible. Then again, it had been a while since he had been here and...

No, it was still strange. He hadn't been gone that long. This just felt so..._off_.

He pressed on, moving towards the door. He could still hear the woman's cries on the other side. And now that he was close enough, he could hear what she had been saying.

"_Someone! Please! Help me_! I-I don't now how long I can..." Then a scream and a thud.

Rudy's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. He ran towards the door, covering the remaining ground in seconds. As soon as he reached it, he grabbed onto the doorknob and turned it. He pushed it open quickly and stepped into the room...

..only to coil back when he nearly stepped over the edge. There was very little ledge here, not much room to move around. He noticed the ledge was narrow but still long, and when he noticed, along the side, there was a ladder laying there. It was pushed against the wall as far as it could go, as if to prevent usage from...

"Is someone there?"

Rudy turned his head at that voice. Now that he could hear it even clearer, no longer garbled by the walls or anything, he could definitely confirm its owner.

Slowly approaching the edge, he said cautiously, "M-Mrs. Sanchez? Are you..."

"_Rudy_?" Mrs. Sanchez called out. "Is that you..?"

Rudy peered over the edge. It was a little hard to see her, but there was no mistaking her. Even in this weak light, he could tell who it was. "Yeah..it's me."

Mrs. Sanchez let out a sigh of relief. "_Oh thank goodness_!" She placed a hand against her chest, a shaky smile spreading across her face. "I-I had no idea if I..." She stopped herself, flinching in pain. "_Oh gawd_... The _pain_..."

Rudy took a moment to look at the room he was in. The smell had gotten even stronger now. It was almost overpowering, and he found himself covering his mouth, trying to cope with it. That's when he noticed there was something coming into the room. He could hear something wet and sloshy. _Water_? What was water doing in here? _But wait_... water doesn't supposed to have a strong smell... _What was_...

"What you're smelling is a _dangerous chemical_." Mrs. Sanchez wheezed, holding her chest tightly. Rudy looked down at her, wide-eyed. "Something is pumping it into this room. I tried to get out.. I ended up getting hit by it. It hurts... It didn't always smell this bad, but now as more of it is getting in, it's..." She stopped and held her nose.

Rudy didn't need her to finish to know what she was going to say. The smell was making her sick. There was no way he could argue with that; he could feel his own headache coming on.

"We need to get out of here..." Mrs. Sanchez wheezed. "B-Before we..."

"Don't worry." Rudy said, interrupting her. "I'll do what I can." He looked towards the ladder. Before he grabbed onto it, he turned his head back to Mrs. Sanchez. "How did you get here?"

Mrs. Sanchez shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just woke up here, and..." Her eyes widened in terror. "Someone is trying to _kill_ me..."

Rudy's heart clenched at this. He realized just how much of a liar that filthy man truly was. He never intended on setting Mrs. Sanchez free. He was going to kill her. Why, he wasn't sure. Maybe he felt she had seen too much?

But he sure picked the perfect spot to annihilate her in. A hidden floor with no obvious way in. _How clever_... Of course, this may not have been too much of a deterrent as someone with the right equipment could find this...which made Rudy realize why this man went with this chemical. He..he must be trying to 'destroy the evidence'...

Not wanting to waste more time, Rudy shook his head to recollect his thoughts, and he grabbed onto the ladder. He pushed it over, listening to it outstretch itself and clang against the ground. He made a few quick gestures with his hand, trying to get the woman to move.

"Come on!" Rudy cried. "_Get up_!"

Mrs. Sanchez's eyes flickered in relief when she saw the ladder. She looked behind her, the expression briefly flickering back to horror as she saw the rising chemical. She then moved towards the ladder as quickly as she could and began to climb up it.

"The bastard who did this must have some kind of pipe connected in here. I don't know why he..or she...would do this. I.."

Rudy realized that Mrs. Sanchez was still disoriented from being knocked out. He decided to fill her in as she continued her ascension of the ladder. "Dr. Von Doktor did this to you. I suspect that he wanted to get rid of witnesses or something."

Mrs. Sanchez gasped at this. "Dr. Von Doktor...?"

Rudy nodded his head. "I'm afraid so." He turned his head to the side, grimacing. "He's been a thorn in our side lately. I'm..not sure how much you remember."

"I..." Suddenly, something caught the woman's eye. She stared at Rudy in confusion and concern. "What's..what's wrong with you?"

Rudy was confused at first. He wasn't sure what the woman could be referring to. He then realized that she must have seen his flinch of pain. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to hide much for her, since she was a doctor, he decided to give her a very brief rundown. "Dr. Von Doktor stuck something through me."

"_What_?!" Mrs. Sanchez's eyes skimmed down Rudy's body, and then she spotted it. "Oh no... We need to get that looked at." Her face paled slightly. "I-Is that a _rusty nail_...?"

Rudy flinched and nodded his head. "Y-Yes."

It took only seconds later for Mrs. Sanchez to reach the top. Now that he could see her, he noticed how her clothes were slightly tattered, likely from her futile attempts to climb out of here. There were several chemical burns on her body, and he thought he saw a bit of bleeding in a few places. The woman's expression, in midst of the horror and shock, did not hide any of the pain she was feeling right now. Rudy hoped that the chemical burns did not cause too much damage.

Mrs. Sanchez approached him, staring at the nail. "Here...let me look at..."

"_No_." Rudy raised his hand up. The woman stared at him in shock and confusion. "Sorry, but we need to get out of here. There's a situation and Penny..."

Mrs. Sanchez widened her eyes in horror. "Is she okay?"

Rudy bit his lip. "I'm not sure... But I have a strong feeling that, unless we get there quickly, she isn't going to be."

The vet stared at the boy in silence and horror. Soon she narrowed her eyes. "Then let's get going."

sss

"_Zat blazted noize_..." Dr. Von Doktor hissed softly, holding a hand against his head. "At leazt here, it'z not az loud. _Oh my head_..." He shut his eyes tightly and rubbed his hand against the side of his face. "I'm going to need zome medizine zoon. Zuch a migraine."

"Serves you right." Penny said bitterly, glaring at the man.

Von shot the girl a look. He didn't say a word. He simply gave her a warning look, letting her know that she should keep her mouth shut if she wanted to continue to remain unharmed. The girl appeared to listen, but that didn't stop her from frowning at him like he was the devil or something.

Well perhaps to the unenlightened and those like these two brats, then yes, he was the devil. But to anyone with actual knowledge, then all he was...just a mere man who had made a discovery and he wanted to learn more. That's all. Was that _so_ wrong?

He honestly never thought he'd see the day when he would have a human test subject. That wasn't something he had ever intended. Well okay, so this wasn't the exact same as a test subject. More like cooperation. However at the moment, he did have Penny cuffed up and secured, and he did have something hooked up to her arm. So it kind of counted. Just cooperation, right? Not a lowly test subject.

Anyone who came in here would be reassured that she had volunteered for this, and he was only monitoring. Nothing more, nothing less. He just wanted to see how well certain things were functioning during the magic chalk usage. That didn't count as...

Oh who was he kidding? This was test subject material. The main difference was that he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize Penny's life. With what he wanted to do, it would be a rather simple task and wouldn't take that long. But in the end, regardless of how little pain she would experience, regardless of how quick and simple this was going to be, Penny was still his current test subject.

For a moment, he wondered if he should be horrified. He had never dreamed of such a prospect before, and he wondered just how legal this was. _What would happen if he were caught_?

He quickly shoved those thoughts aside. He smiled inwardly, reminding himself that Penny volunteered for this. If anything happened, she had herself to blame. After all, she would have resisted and said no, but instead, she gave herself up to him in order to protect her friends. A trade-off: he let the zoners go and Penny would go with him willingly. Seemed relatively fair.

He had a thought up his sleeve, however. A way of getting more of what he wanted. But for now, he would keep that thought aside. He kept his attention on the glaring girl, smiling at her meek attempts at a struggle. The machine was uncomfortable for her. Oh well. She can suck it up.

"It would be very interzting to finally know what activatez zee magic chalk." Von said coolly as he walked around Penny. He circled her a few times, eyeing her up and down almost like a predator. "Onze I find out, I can try to replicate zee rezultz and use zat to manufacture my _own_ magic chalk." He chuckled. "Zeemz like a _perfect_ trade off, am I right, Penny?"

"Go suck on a rock." Penny hissed at him, turning her head away.

Von would have commented on that, but he decided to pretend he didn't hear it. There were more important matters at hand, and his feelings weren't exactly one of them.

He shifted his gaze around Penny, taking note of her current situation. The girl had been forced down into a metal chair, smoothly cut with some rounded edges, like on the arms of the chair, but also some sharp points like on the back of it, where Penny leaned. Attached to it was some metal bars, with bent sideways, and then up. Attached to the front was a flat monitor. Right now, its screen was black, but the flickering light indicated that it was indeed turned on; it just had no feed right now. The wires that had been hooked into Penny, wrapping around mostly her right arm, would provide that information once they got started.

He hoped that this machine would give him clues to how the chalk worked. Perhaps if he saw the way the muscles and tendons moved as she wielded the chalk, he could understand the activation mechanism and use that, combined with a deep analysis of the magic chalk itself, to create his own. He smiled at the thought of that.

Oh sure, Terry Bouffant did talk about how he could simply make a trip into ChalkZone and grab some. That was where the boy got the chalk, he was certain. _But_...why _waste time_ doing that if he could make his own? If he could create the magic chalk, he could modify it, change it, had specific features to it, and then sell it. He wouldn't need to worry about making trips in and out of that world. And best of all, if Rudy and his friends manage to kick him out of ChalkZone, he would still have magic chalk he could use to get back on, and still manufacture them even without the use of a trip into the chalk world itself. It was fool proof.

His eyes trailed along Penny's body, focusing on her hand and wrist. If he weren't used to seeing needles and such, the sight of Penny's wrist being penetrated by multiple needles would have bothered him. He simply brushed it off, moving his eyes towards the magic chalk he had given her for the experiment, and then his eyes moved towards the monitor itself. He then turned his gaze to face Penny directly.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked in an almost sarcastic tone.

Penny tugged on her left arm. She glared at the man, showing no signs of fear. Just anger and annoyance. "What do you think?" She spat. "Why don't you just get started? Get this over with!"

Dr. Von Doktor smirked at this. "You'd like zat, wouldn't you? But you know...I zink I will prolong ziz a little." He placed his hand against his chin, tilting his head to one side, his smile growing bigger. "I juzt want to..._zavor_ ziz moment a little while longer."

Penny stared at him in confusion, her frown still intermixed with anger. "_Why_? You already have me cuffed down! I can't go anywhere! You're free to learn whatever you want! I can't even _let go of the chalk_!"

Von glanced down at Penny's hand. He took note of the rope he tied around the fingers to ensure they would remain a gripping hold on the magic chalk. He just continued to smile as he lifted his gaze and stared back at Penny.

"Why are you wasting time? For all you know, Rudy could be on his way down here to help me!" Penny called out to him.

Von shook his head slowly. The girl obviously didn't get it, did she? Oh that's right, she didn't know what he did to Rudy, did she? Yeah... She was still unaware about that little detail. He hadn't exactly told her yet. Maybe he should..._fix_ that.

No, not now. He would find the time. He just wanted to prolong this a little. This was one of the two brats that ruined everything for him all those months ago. He wanted to take some time to ensure that she suffered for it. Sure, before he didn't want to waste that much time on revenge, and focus on getting information so he could redeem himself. But now that he was here, now that he had Penny trapped, he deserved a bit of that, right? A little 'reward' for himself.

"I wonder how you muzt be feeling right now, Penny. Trapped? Defenzelezz? _Ztupid_? Wishing you had zought of anozer way?" Von asked in a taunting voice. He reached out and grabbed Penny's chin. "Zis all would never have happened if you and your friend hadn't intervened wiz me back when..."

Penny opened her mouth and tried to bite him. Slightly alarmed, the man yanked his hand back. He looked down and examined his hand, making sure that the girl didn't even graze it. He glared softly back at her. Quite a bold move, considering her position. Nonetheless, he couldn't allow that to happen again.

"Do zat again, and I will make sure you will regret it." Von warned her.

"Oh please! Do you really think that I believe you? I know you woud hesitate to actually seriously harm me, because you know what would happen if you dare try! You can't frighten me with _false_ threats!" Penny shouted at him. She glared at him in the eyes, and he could feel the intensity of her emotions quite well. He remained quiet, listening to her continue to rant at him. "Besides, you are just a lyre bird, always repeating the same thing over and over. Are you seriously _still_ on that subject of what happened months ago? Are you still angry about that? _Get over it_! It was your fault for.."

Von, feeling his blood start to boil over, did something he never thought he would do, _especially to a child_.

_He punched Penny_.

The resounding sound of his fist colliding with her jaw practically echoed in the room. Her head was tossed back roughly and she let out a cry of pain. The whiplash was so bad that he almost thought that she would have some form of brain trauma from this.

Fortunately that didn't seem to be the case. The girl looked over at him, her eyes filled with pain and shock of the attack. Von glared down at her, his lip curled back into a snarl. His breathing was in the form of seething through his teeth, which were clenched tightly. His fist remained raised, and it tightened as he lifted it up slightly, a silent threat.

"_How dare you_... I told you two bratz what I had been zrough, why I have every right to zeek juztize against you two. You _ztill_ dare tell me zat it was _my_ fault?" Von snarled.

"W-Well..if you didn't..." Penny tried to say.

Although it was against Von's better judgment, he punched Penny again, this time making her head toss to the other side. He then grabbed her head and yanked it back, pulling on her scalp. She let out a cry of pain in the process, her eyes clinching shut tightly.

"_Don't you dare try to tell me it waz my fault! All I did waz try to share a dizcovery wiz zee world! It waz you and your friend who refuzed to cooperate! It waz you two whoze selfishnezz caused me to lose almozt everyzing zat day! If it weren't for you two, I would have been hailed az one of the greatezt dizcovererz of all time! Who knows where society could have been going if your ztupid friend had actually done zee right thing and shared the knowledge inztead of hogging it like a zelfish brat zat he is! But then, you two are juzt ten years old, so what should I expect from you two? Too young, naive, and ztupid to know or care about anyone but yourzelvez_!"

He pulled Penny's hair even tighter, bringing out another cry of pain from her. He put his face close to hers. The girl flinched, feeling his hot breath against her face.

Von snarled, "Zo don't you dare try to pin the blame on me. I did nozing wrong. I don't want to have to repeat myself." His eyes narrowed further. "Do you underztand?"

At first, Penny was quiet. She merely looked at him with widened eyes and clenched teeth. He couldn't tell if she was truly afraid of him or if he was just confusing the heck out of her. Though there was at least some apprehension, her eyes looking at the fist that he still had formed in his other hand. So there was at least that.

He hoped the girl would learn her lesson. He hoped that she would realize that she was the one who was pushing blame onto others. What the heck had he done wrong back then? He had a warrant. He wasn't hurting Rudy. He wasn't trying to unleash some diabolical scheme. He just wanted to share a discovery with the world. It was Rudy was uncooperative. It was he and Penny who came up with that horrid plan that ruined everything about him.

It was their fault that he was such a mess. It was their felt that he had to endure taunt after taunt for months since the incident. It was their fault he lost his staff and reputation. And it was most certainly their fault that he had been forced to do this. If they had been cooperative from the start, none of this would have happened. Well what could he expect from a couple of _selfish brats_?

Well he did waste enough time chatting with the girl. It was now time to get started with the experiment. A part of him wanted to kick himself in the head for wasting so much time, but the other simply didn't care. Penny needed to be put back in line before she did anything she would regret.

Well time to get started. He knew it was best to do it now before the ringing in the hallways, which still went on and on, drove him insane. The dull ache would..._distract_ him from his work.

The first thing he did was make sure that the girl could move her hand enough to make affective strokes. There was nothing in front of her. He figured it was not necessary. Surely the magic chalk would register it was being used, and the results would show up on the monitor.

After he made sure of that, he walked around and doublechecked the equipment. He didn't want there to be a malfunction during this. That would not be all that...pleasant, to say the least. He checked the wires as well, making sure they were hooked up properly and in no change of being popped loose.

He then walked out towards Penny's front. He positioned himself in front of her. He narrowed his eyes, looking at her up and down. He noted her expression. There was some fear, but the girl was back to glaring at him. He noticed slight bruises where she had been punched. Just more injuries to add to the others. He let his eyes trail along her body, looking at the bandages. He wondered what happened to her, but he soon shrugged it off. What caused those injuries weren't important. So long as she could still use the magic chalk, that was all that mattered.

"Okay now, Penny..." Von swung around behind her swiftly. He positioned himself directly behind her, standing very close. He placed his hand on her shoulder gently, his eyes staring intently at the monitor. "_Begin_."

sss

Millie watched as her husband paced back and forth in front of her and her sister. She had never seen him this worked up before. She had tried to settle him down, but nothing she said would get through to him. He would just keep pacing back and forth. It was to the point where she thought that he was going to leave an indention in the ground.

He had been at this for a while. His arms remained folded behind his back as he walked to and fro. The frown on his face indicated just how deep in thought he was. Occassionally, he'd look over at them, but then, just when they would think he'd speak, he'd turn away and continue his pacing.

She had never seen him this worked up before. She recalled how it was usually her, and not her husband, who'd be fidgeting and being worried, while her husband would be the one trying to be reasonable and calm. Now the roles had reversed. Now it was _her_ trying to calm down her husbadn, although nothing she said had really done much. If anything, it seemed to just make his worrying even worse.

Biting her lip, Millie said, "Joe...can you please settle down? I'm sure everything will be fine."

Joe turned his head towards her. He narrowed his eyes softly. She flinched. She could see the reflection of immense concern in those eyes. More than she thought she'd ever see from him. "Millie, they didn't answer the phone."

"That doesn't mean anything." Tilly said. She kept Sophie on her knees, an arm slung over her. "Maybe they're just busy." She held her hand out in gesture. "Rudy and Penny did have a nasty fight. Maybe it's just taking longer than usual to make amends."

Joe narrowed his eyes at this. He then turned his head and faced down. "That _is_ possible... But I'm not so sure." He turned his head away, staring out into the distance. He sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. "Something just doesn't feel right."

Millie didn't know what she could say to that. How could she comfort her husband when she herself wasn't so sure of the situation? She wanted to stay positive and did a good job of it. She had gotten the call from Penny's mother, so it wasn't like she didn't know where Rudy was. Inez was a diligent mother, and a very responsible person. She wouldn't allow anything to happen to her daughter, _or_ to Rudy.

But she couldn't lie to herself and ignore the fact that she felt a little worried as well. When Joe made the call earlier and no one answered, they had assumed that they just couldn't get to the phone in time. But five calls later and _still no answer_... What was going on?

"Maybe she decided to take them to the store?" Millie found herself suggesting hopefully.

Joe frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Well, that's also a possibility." He shook his head once. "But still, wouldn't she have called to inform us?"

"Probably not. I don't see why she would feel the need to tell us, unless she thought were going to come over." Tilly said.

On her lap, Sophie wriggled around a little. Millie watched as her sister held onto the girl more tightly. "_Rudy_...?" At this, Millie felt her heart tighten. _Poor Sophie_... She must miss Rudy.

Tilly pressed her daughter against herself. She stroked her hair gently and whispered, "_Shh_... Settle down, Sophie. You'll see Rudy again soon." She paused for a moment, sucking on her lip. "I-I promise."

Millie couldn't help but flinch at the crack in the woman's voice. She wondered if Tilly felt some ounce of guilt over Rudy's disappearance. The idea was ludicrous, and she hoped it wasn't true. But at the same time, it wouldn't surprise her; if Rudy and the others were indeed missing, they would all feel guilty, and then waste their time wondering 'what if'...

Millie hoped to avoid that as much as possible. Wondering what could have been would only be a waste of time. If her son was in danger, then the best thing to do was take action. Inform the police and make phonecalls and hope that someone had information on where they were, hoping that someone would have seen them. Taking a trip to Inez's house would come first, of course, to see if they were indeed there. She didn't want to have them go through all this and it turned out they were at home all along.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She hoped she was wrong about this. She hoped that Rudy wouldn't do such a thing. But what if he did? _What if he went and_...

She tried to shake the thought out of her head, but it was useless. There was nothing she could do. Now she felt her heart twisting and tightening at the thought of Rudy doing the one thing that he had been forbidden to do. Despite precautions being in place, something could still happen. Rudy was smart. He could have found a work around, she was certain.

She glanced over at her sister, licking her lip nervously. Her sister caughter stare, and she furrowed her eyes with concern. Millie then looked over at Joe, who was still pacing around worriedly.

"J-Joe..?" The man stopped and looked down at Millie. "Do you..do you think that Rudy...snuck away to get a chalkboard?"

Joe froze at this. He stared at her, disbelievingly. "But..Rudy's always been good at following the rules. _Why would he_...?"

"You know how he can get sometimes, Joe." Millie recalled how Rudy acted the times that he had gotten really upset. Despite Rudy's civil nature most of the time, the large woman had to remember that Rudy was still a child, a little boy. He was still prone to outbursts and reckless actions. "And you know how much he loves his art." Indeed, Rudy spent hours drawing at a time. "He probably tried to sneak a chalkboard in despite there being a five day limitation, and maybe Inez and Penny are trying to find him and that's why they aren't home."

Silence fell upon the room, except for the occassional 'Rudy' from Sophie. Millie flinched slightly from the way her husband was looking at her. She wanted to say something more, but she felt that she had said enough. Whether or not her husband believed her, it was up to him.

But regardless of what he says, she still thought this was a possibility. Rudy knew his way around town well enough and he had walked alone there a few times without problem, sometimes accompanied by Penny. Their neighborhood was relatively safe, so no one bat an eye on the subject of two kids walking in town alone. There's even been a few times where Rudy walked to school on his own. It wasn't like Plainsville was as big as, say, New York City.

It was possible that Rudy felt gipped about not being able to use his chalkboard for a few days, and left to get another one that he could sneak with. Why he didn't just use the portale one that he was still allowed to use, she wasn't sure unless he wanted to draw something really big and he needed all of that space for the drawing itself. Sometimes artists just want something bigger to have ample space to draw whatever they want.

It was possible that Rudy left, and Inez realized he was gone and she and Penny left in a hurry, without bothering to try to grab her cell phone in the process. Although she realized, they hadn't tried that _yet_...

Her eyes wide in realization at this realization, she said, "Have you tried her cellphone, Joe?"

Her husband stared at her for a few seconds. He then raised his shoulders up in a shrug and shook his head. "No, I haven't. I guess I just..didn't think about it."

Millie pointed her finger at her husand. "Well try it. Let us know if you get anything."

"I'm on it." Joe stopped his pacing as he went towarsd the phone.

Millie and her sister watched in silence. They gave each other a concerned expression. Neither of them knew what this phone call was going to lead to. Neither them had any idea what to expect. All they could do was sit here and hope that the man's call was going to lead to something better. Maybe he would get a hold of the woman and they could find out what was going on.

Millie hoped so. She wanted to believe that everything was fine. She wanted to believe that her son just took off to get a chalkboard, or that they were at the store looking around, or what. This...this couldn't be _that serious_. It...

Millie felt her heart freeze, hearing her sister give a gasp of horror, when, after a few minutes, Joe returned to them, a solemn look on his face. He shook his head slowly and the woman felt as though her world came crashing down.

"I couldn't get a hold of them. The cell phone is turned off." Joe said regretfully.

"What?" Tilly said, her eyes wide in shock as she struggled to keep herself from dropping Sophie.

"No..." Millie whispered. This could only mean one thing.

Rudy, along with Penny and Inez, they were..._missing_.


	33. Fails

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 33: Fails

_**I already told you, I can always shift things into my favor.**_

sss

"I'm going to lift your leg up now, Ms. Bouffant. I need to check to see how well the swelling has gone down." The doctor said.

Terry clinched her eyes shut, despite the fac that she couldn't really see anything right now, and waited. She could feel a pair of hands on her leg. Cool and smooth... He was now wearing gloves, no doubt. And if he wasn't, she wanted another doctor.

Her leg was slowly lifted up. Not too high. Just enough for the man to slip his fingers underneath and steady it. Two or three fingers were wrapped firmly at the ankle, providing support for her leg. She then could feel the doctor's hands gently move around the leg itself, up and down, trailing his fingers along, examining the leg.

As he did this, the woman's thoughts trailed off. She couldn't believe this had happened to her. How could this have happened to her? What did she do to deserve this? Sure she had gotten all in people's faces before, but that was normal for her. No one appeared to have a problem wiith it before. At least... No one had tried to hurt her _this badly_ before.

Her mind was still muggy. She had little recollection of what happened recently. For all she knew, she was attacked by the tooth fairy.

Not that she would ever remotely believe that had anything to do with what happened. No, that was _ridiculous_. She hardly found any humor in the comment; what happened to her was not funny. Her body was wracked in pain and she had no idea exactly why.

Some memories had returned, but they weren't enough to fully understand what had happened to her. The very last thing she remembered before she woke up in the hospital was meeting Dr. Von Doktor in a room. But she couldn't remember what room, why she was going, or anything. She wasn't sure if that had anything to do with what happened to her, or if something else happened entirely.

Her memory of what happened lately, mostly of the very recent past, were spotty. She remembered some comments and phrases, and some partial pieces of familiar emotion that she must have felt. But outside of that, not really too much. The recent past was largely a blank, an empty slate that her brain was struggling to fill in.

The doctors mentioned something about her being injected with something. A chemical that would have altered her ability to remember. Or rather, they assume that's what happened. The blood results wouldn't be bad this quick. _If that is what happened to her, then_...

The doctor's voice cut her off. "Everything seems to be fine. At least...as much as they could be." The doctor said, his voice was stern. She imagined, judging from the tone of his voice, that he was likely frowning thoughtfully at her. "The swelling has improved, but it is still present. It may take a few days before it completely heals. Until then..." He turned his eyes towards hers. Or at least, that's what she imagined was going on.

Terry nodded her head shakingly, still unable to come to terms with what happened to her. "Yea..I understand..." Her voice trailed off and she let out an inaudible sob. _Oh the pain_... How long was she going to have to endure this?

The doctor's voice came again. This time, while it was still stern, there was a gentler tone this time. One that suggested a hint of compassion or concern. She nearly jolted in surprise when he felt his hand on her face, near her eyes. She wanted to say something, but she was too stunned to do anything. This man hadn't touched her here before. And it had her worried. He must be doing it because...

Then came the news she knew she was going to get. Despite that, it didn't make the blow any easier.

"Your leg should heal fine. You might find it difficult to walk for a while, but the swelling is mostly gone. I imagine it should take a couple weeks for you to fully heal. _However_..." Terry clenched her teeth at this. She waited for the doctor to continue, to deliver the bad news and just get this over with. "Your eyes are a _different_ story..." The man fell silent.

Terry didn't handle the silence well for very long. She could feel her heart rate increasing, adrenaline pumping through her body. She could only begin to imagine all kinds of scenarios that may prove the case with her. Despite not be able to see, she kept her gaze towards the last direction she had heard the man's voice in. The bandages prevented her from actually opening her yes all the way, but considering what happened, a part of her was grateful.

"How...how bad is it..?" The woman managed to squeak out.

"Well... there's good news and bad news." The doctor said. He moved his finger towards one of her eyes. He applied a bit of pressure, as if t olet Terry know which eye he was indicating. "This eye right here should be fine. There are some chemical burns, but those are treatable. This eye just needs some time to rest. I'd give it about a month and it'll be _mostly_ healed right up."

"And the other?" The woman asked apprehensively.

The doctor gave a sigh. Not one of anger or frustration, but instead, it was of sadness and uncertainty. Terry wasn't liking where this was going. "One of your eyes sustained more damage. And...to put it simply, we can say with the most utmost confidence that this eye..._it may never work again_..."

Terry felt her heart skip a beat this. She waited in silence, hoping she would hear more from the doctor. Maybe a backtrack and an apology and the truth. But none of that happened, and she realized, that it would never happen. She was forced to sit there in silence, her mind reeling from this shocking discovery.

It felt as though the whole world had frozen around her. She could hardly move, could hardly breathe. Her mind barely could get any thoughts through. The only thing that she could hear was the message being repeated over and over again.

Her eye might not work again. That hit her like a train wreck. She thought she felt herself being physically slapped when the doctor delivered that terrible news. Just when she thought she didn't have anything else to worry about, just when she thought it couldn't be any worse, this happened. True, she may not be blind permanently, but the idea of losing one eye to..._whatever_ had happened to her... _So sudden_... She wasn't sure how something like this could happen to her and _without warning_.

She felt her heart sting, anger swelling up inside her chest. How could something like this happen to her? What did she do to deserve this? At worst, she could see herself getting a slap on the wrist, but she had never done anything bad enough to another person that they would relaliate like this. It was..._unbelievable_.

She formed a fist with her hand. She tried her best to keep herself calm. She tried not to lash out at the doctor for the horrible news. After all, it wasn't his fault. It...

...wait, yes it was. _He_ was the doctor. He should have been able to take care of her. He should have been able to keep her eye from losing its sight. Why didn't he try harder? Why didn't he put all his effort into saving that eye? Isn't that the doctor's _job_? To ensure full recoveries? How could he not live up to his job description? She found herself glaring in the direction she thougth the doctor was in, remaining silent.

"_Whoa there_..." The doctor's voice called out. Cautionary and hesitant; he was trying to settle her down. She snarled at this. "No need to get angry at me. I did my best. We all did. But Ms. Bouffant... You _must_ understand that treating chemical injuries, especially in the eyes, can be quite a difficult job. You were lucky that the damage was as minimal as it was. You could easily have been _fully_ blinded, or suffer something _more devastating_ than being blind."

Terry narrowed her eyes at this. She kept her head in the same position, her gaze towards the same location. She didn't know if she was really looking at the guy or not, but right now, she didn't care. All that she really wanted was to express her utter disappointment over his _lackluster_ effort to help her.

But she realized that she couldn't put all the blame on him. There was someone else that was worthy of her attention. Someone who had a bigger role in what had happened to her.

_The person who had attacked her_.

Terry could feel her anger increase at the thought of that person, nearly turning into boiling rage. Her desire for revenge had returned, but this time, it wasn't geared towards those two brats. At the moment, she didn't care about them. They can run off, foiling Dr. Von Doktor's plans all they wanted to. It didn't matter to her right now. For now, all her vengeful desires belonged to the person who had done this to her. _As soon as she found out who it was_...

She hoped that they would get prepared soon. They would not escape her justice seeking. They would have nowhere to hide. She would see to it that they end up locked in prison where they belonged. They would learn to _regret_ ever messing with her.

And then she could turn her attention back to Rudy and Penny, and to ChalkZone.

After a long, tense silence, Terry finally spoke up. "Where are you in the investigation?"

"Come again?" Asked the doctor.

"Did you find out _who_ had done _this_ to _me_?"

"Oh.." The doctor said, realizing what she was talking about. She could hear some shuffling of papers, and she guessed that the man was a little uncomfortable, unsure of what to say. "I..." The hesitation confirmed the woman's suspicions. The doctor continued to stutter until he finally spat it out. "No, we haven't."

Terry's frown deepened. She imagined if she could see, she would notice the doctor cringing back. If it weren't for her leg, she'd probably be up right now, ramming him against the wall and demanding him how he couldn't even get that part done right. They should have been able to figure out who did this, right? They know what chemical was used and...

Well it wasn't exactly their job. They were _not_ forensic scientists after all. She forced a sigh through her nose, trying to get herself to settle down a little. She realized that she couldn't get mad at them for not doing something that wasn't even part of their job description. They could give ideas on what might have happened, but it wouldn't really bring her that much closer to discovering the truth.

Well, sooner or later, she would find out who had done this to her. She would figure out their name, their location, and she would make sure that they pay. She would make them wish their attempt at killing her had succeeded. They had messed with a bull, and now they were about to get the _horns_.

sss

Howdy was at a loss. He wasn't sure where to go right now. He remained standing in the same spot. He had been like this for a couple minutes, or so it felt, just trying to figure out which direction to go now. But... he was stuck, unable to think of anything that might help, or any kind of clue. He was just.._stuck_.

He could hear the other zoners behind him grumbling and complaining, though some panicked. Well, the ones that remained anyway. The ringing that was still going on, it had drove away many of them. The sudden appearance caused them all to scatter. Howdy, with Rapsheeba's help, was able to gather up at least some of them and lead them down the hallways as he tried to find the way back to the portal.

But something seemed _wrong_ here. This pathway didn't look all that familiar to him. Was it because he had been so terrified that he just forgot, or had they really gone down an incorrect path?

The idea horrified him. If he had indeed gone the wrong way, that would delay them getting back into ChalkZone, and if he kept leading them the wrong way, they would get more and more lost, and they'd stay stuck in the Real World for longer. The more time this took, the more danger he was putting himself and the others in. They couldn't stay here in the Real World for long. Especially not in a place like this. Not with some mad scientist who would see to it they were all dissected and torn apart.

But the one to suffer the most from this was Blocky. The puppet zoner turned and looked at his now unconscious friend. He couldn't remember how long Blocky had been out, but it was enough to worry him. Blocky needed to get to a hospital and fast. One in ChalkZone, not the Real World. _If they didn't get him to a hospital soon_... He didn't want to imagine what might become of the poor guy.

It was such a shame that something like this happened to a zoner like Blocky. He hadn't done anything to deserve this. The idea that someone would kidnap him and then torture him all for the name of 'results'... It was _disgusting_. It took all of Howdy's internal strength not to scream in rage at this.

There was little time to worry about that, however. He needed to refocus his mind on trying to find the right way. He needed to figure out which way to go before the remaining zoners got worked up and tried to leave as well, or tried to replace him as leader. Such a move would be a disaster; many of these zoners were rather impulsive, and none of them knew the way like he did. He was the one who made the most trips two and from here. He was the best one suited for this job.

But it would seem that not all the zoners could see things that way. One of the zoners angrily cleared his throat. Howdy tried to ignore him as he tried to concentrate on figuring out if they should go left, right, or straight. But the zoner didn't give up, and the second time he made that sound, there was an almost malicious edge to it. Having no choice, Howdy turned his head and looked at the zoner.

"Excuse me, but we have been at this for _hours_!" The zoner called out.

"It hasn't been that long." One of the other, less aggressive, zoners said.

The first zoner swiveled his head and snarled at the zoner that dared to speak. "I don't fucking care!" The less aggressive zoner flinched at this and took a step back. "The point is, we have been walking for quite some time and we are still nowhere near the portal back home!" The zoner turned his attention back to Howdy. "..isn't that right, Howder?"

"It's Howdy." The puppet zoner grumbled softly.

"_Whatever_!" The zoner threw his hands up into the air. "How many times have we been through here? Ten?" He lowered his hands and made a few dramatic gestures. "How many more are we going to have to go through? _Fifteen more_?"

Howdy shook his head. He had no idea what this zoner was talking about. It was clear that the anger and frustration was really getting to this guy. It was clouding his judgment, and he was making accusations that made no sense at all. He wondered how many of the other zoners in here were this nutty, if any of them were going to do something as crazy as accuse him of such things.

It was tempting for him to be quiet and see how long this zoner can run this into the ground. But they had more important things right now. Besides, it would be against his nature to allow a fellow zoner continue to make an ass of himself. He needed to stop this, especially for everyone's sake.

"We haven't been going in circles, and you _know it_. I understand that you are frustrated and angered by the whole thing. Trust me, so am I. I want to get you all back sooner, and if it were up to me, we'd all be back already. But sometimes, things just don't work out that way. Look, I'm sorry if you all are getting impatient with me. I'm doing the best I can." Howdy took a moment to look at the zoners. Most of them were glaring at him and he could sense the anger even without the zoners speaking up. "I promise, I'm doing what I can. We don't have _time_ to argue about this. As long as we are on the move, Von can't..."

"But Von said he wouldn't try to harm us if Penny..." The oner's voice trailed off.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room. Several zoners lowered their heads, a few more looking nervous or uncomfortable. Howdy could feel his heart sting at the memory. He was left in absolute shock at Penny's sacrifice.

She had willingly given herself up to the man, in exchange for him letting them go. And the man had taken that offer. He hadn't attempted to chase after them, nor did he make a threat towards them. He just focused on Penny, dragging her down the hallway and towards one of his rooms. Howdy had wanted to go after her, but Penny ordered him and the others to leave her behind. Howdy couldn't believe just how heroic she was being in that moment.

Leaving her behind was one of the _hardest_ things he had ever done. He wanted to help her and take her with. He wanted them all to get to safety, and the portal get erased. True it would not stop Von for long; he did have a piece of magic chalk after all. But it would buy them a little time and bring some peace of mind to the zoners, even if it was going to be short lived.

"I know what Von said. I know that he promised us safe passage. But I don't trust that guy. I had spent hours with him. I listened to this guy talk. I listened to what plans he had in store for us. _I know_ what he's like, and let me tell you something: just because he promises something doesn't mean that he will keep it." Howdy said, narrowing his eyes. "He has little reason to keep that promise."

"How do you know?" One of the zoners asked. "You haven't known him for _that long_! He might.."

Howdy turned his head towards the zoner that spoke. "I've listened to the man go on and on about how he was going to 'reclaim his dignity', how this was going to make others see that he is not crazy. He kept calling this the 'discovery of a life time'..." He tilted his head to one side. "Do you really think that he is going to just let this go? Do you think he is going to pass up this opportunity?"

"Probably not...but that doesn't mean that we have to follow _yo_u."

Howdy looked up towards the aggressive zoner from before. He frowned at him, but made no attempt to further aggravate him. That would only spell disaster, and that was not something they could afford right now.

The aggressive zoner, reminding him so much of Helga, just a little more dramatic, folded his arms against his chest, glaring down at Howdy with a scowl. "You promised that we were close! And guess what? _We are nowhere near home_! I don't see any portal around, _do you, Howdy_?" He spread his hands out, his fingers curved in slightly. "Tell me, Howdy. How many more miles are you going to make us walk before you just outright abandon us?"

Howdy glared at the zoner. The fact that he was exaggerating again didn't surprise him, and that wasn't what he was upet about. How dare the man imply that he didn't give a shit about anyone here... How dare he try to say that he had been purposely misleading them, just waiting for a time to leave them to their fate... He would _never_ do such a thing, especially not to an injured zoner like Blocky that clearly needed help.

"_How dare you_.." Rapsheeba spoke up, who had remained silent until now. She took a few steps towards the aggressive zoner. "He has been trying his best! I know we haven't gotten back yet, but you need to understand! Howdy is just _one zoner_, and he's doing what he can, but he can still make mistakes. The point is, he is the only one of us who knows where the portal is and can lead us back. So why don't you stop your..."

The aggressive zoner took a step forward. "_No! You see here_! We all had been through the portal as well and we all had seen it! I'm sure that one of these other zoners remember the location better than your puppet pal here!"

"_You're wasting time_!" Rapsheeba cried. "We need to get back into ChalkZone before Blocky..."

The aggressive zoner scowled at this. "_Blocky_?! What about _me_?" He placed a hand against his chest. Then he motioned outward to the other zoners. "What about _them_?! If _Howdy_ can't get his fucking act to gether and lead us down the right path, none of us are coming back! It's _not just_ your _precious friend_ that needs help, you know."

Rapsheeba narrowed her eyes at this. Her teeth were gritted, and Howdy noticed one of her hands had been tightened into a fist. "I am very well aware of that. Which is why we should just keep moving so we can get home faster!"

"Well we would be going..." He folded his arms again, one of them loosened enough for him to gesture towards Howdy. "If he would get on the ball and actually lead us instead of standing around like a buffoon."

Howdy felt a wave of anger rise up inside of him. He wished the zoner would be more understandable and reasonable. He wished that they would at least try to get what kind of situation that they were in. Things weren't always going to be so easy. Things weren't always going to be hassle free, requiring minimal effort to complete.

Howdy, not wanting to listen to this any longer, turned around, putting his back to the zoner. He ignored the sputtering from the zoner, or any attempts the zoner made to communicate with him. He focused on the pathways in front of them. He narrowed his eyes as he looked left and right. If he could just figure out which way to go...

Oh, _why couldn't he remember_? Why couldn't he just look at these paths and remember which one he had taken? Why couldn't he...

His eyes widened in horror. _No_...it couldn't be true.. No, _anything but that_... He remained there in silence, his mind reeling, feeling a cold chill go up his spine. He tried to think of any other alternative, but none came to mind. The only thing that would make any sense at all, the only thing that made any ounce of sense, was they truly had gone the wrong way.

_But how? When_? He had been so careful. How could he have gone the wrong way? What did he do wrong? Where did he take the wrong turn? Unfortunately, there would be no way of knowing, and that left them with only one option.

They were going to need to backtrack.

He was about to open his mouth and inform the others, but he knew that would not go over well. They would certainly snap at him, and, in the case of a couple, even tear him apart. These zoners were on edge, and now that they couldn't express their anger towards Von, he was going to be the next best thing in their eyes. He needed to figure out something else.

It didn't take him long to think of something. There was only one sensible solution that he could think of. But the decision was also _risky_ and surely to spark controversy. The zoners would likely argue about this, wasting time when they could be using said time to get away.

The best idea seemed to be to split up. He had to admit, the idea didn't sound all that great in his head, and he wasn't sure how they would all meet up. But.._what other choice was there_? They needed to get back on track, but if they all went together, they could all die together. Being in one, singular location would make it that much easier for Von, should he change his mind, get them.

But if they split up, that would increase the odds that someone would get to the portal. They could take the chalkboard with them, and try to find the others and rescue them. It seemed like their best option at this point. But the question was: how would the zoners handle it?

There was only one way to find out.

Howdy turned to face the zoners. At this point, both Rapsheeba and the aggressive zoner were still arguing. Blocky was still unconscious in another zoner's arms, his mouth partially open. Howdy winced as he saw how much pain was _still_ being conveyed by his unmoving face. Some zoners were still looking at him, still awaiting his word on what they were going to do next.

He licked his lips nervously, trying to organize in his head what he was going to say. Once he felt he figured something out, he spoke. "I think it is best if we split into a few groups."

This was met with utter silence, something that Howdy saw coming, but nonetheless, still filled him with an uncomfortable feeling. The zoners stared at him as though he lost his mind, a few glancing at one another. Some others frowned slightly, and their eyes, they seemed to convey a message of betrayal, something that made Howdy's heart twist. And the ones that outright glared at him, looking as though they would _rip him apart_... He couldn't help but take a few steps back away from them, cringing slightly.

Not one of them appeared to look as though they understood. Even Rapsheeba looked shocked by his suggestion, although her expression was the least negative compared to the other zoners. Howdy looked at Rapsheeba, his expression silently detailing to her how sorry he was that it had to come to this. He didn't want to split them up, but it would appear there was no alternative.

The aggressive zoner from before broke the silence. "So, the little traitor decided to go authentic, didn't he?" He walked over towards Howdy. The puppet zoner did his best to ignore the slight vibrations in the ground as the zoner walked towards him. "_How fitting_... So you decided to take off your mask and show us your _true colors_. Tell me, Howdy, how long have you been waiting to do this? Did it hurt to pretend to care about us?"

Howdy snarled at this. "That's _not_ the reason I'm doing this."

"Then what is?" Another zoner asked.

Howdy clinched his eyes shut tightly. He couldn't believe how much time they were wasting doing this. But he knew the zoners would not move until he had made his case. He forced a breath through his mouth, trying to force himself to calm down.

"I assure you all, I have the utmost best intentions for you guys. I am not trying to abandon you or leave you in the cold. I care about all of you..._even you_.." Howdy glanced at the aggressive zoner for a second. It was enough to make the zoner's eyes widen in surprise. "I want all of you to get out of here safely. I have been doing my best to ensure that you, since you may be all that remains, are all able to get back into ChalkZone. I will confess, however, that I might have accidentally gone the wrong way." He closed his eyes and lowered his head at this. "I am _not_ proud of it, and I found it hard to believe that I had screwed that up."

There were soft murmurs among the zoners. Howdy lifted up his head and he could see the zoners were looking around nervously. Few were glaring at him now. It seemed the prospect of getting stuck here longer was more deserving of attention for them then the fact that he messed up.

One of the only zoners to express anger was the aggressive zoner from befeore. This didn't surprise Howdy. He had a feeling that he would continue to be trouble, and he prepared himself for whatever fight the zoner wanted to drag him into.

"I do know that if we continue to walk in a large group like this, it would not only take us longer to get out of here in case we continue going down the wrong path, but it would leave us open to being better _targets_ for Dr. Von Doktor. He might go back on his word and come after us. Being together like this might be a good strategy overall, but it's going to make us _sitting ducks_."

The puppet zoner paused and looked around, making sure the zoners understood what he was saying. Then he continued.

"If we split apart, then we will have a better chance of finding the portal. We could all go in separate directions, splitting into smaller teams. I know reporting back will be hard, and I haven't quite figured that bit out yet. But at least if Von tries to come after us, he can only go after one group, giving time for everybody else." Howdy gave a quick, faint smirk at this. "It would be hard for him to be in more places than once, right?"

The aggressive zoner stared down at him, moving closer. Howdy felt some tension rise between the two of them, and he could feel his anger radiating off his body. The zoner was still pissed off at him, and now that he told him he might have gone the wrong way after all, that clearly didn't settle well with him.

But much to Howdy's confusion, the zoner didn't attempt to attack or harrass him in anyway. Instead, the frown shifted into something more along the lines of acknowledgment, and then he gave a nod of his head.

"All right then..." The zoner said. He must have finally realized the futility of him trying to be overly aggressive. He glanced over at the fallen form of Blocky before looked back at Howdy and said, "What do you want us to do?"

Howdy ignored the tone of voice the zoner gave at that statement. He didn't want to say anything to make it worse. He turned his head to face the other zoners. He gave them a sharp nod and said, "Here's what I propose we do."

sss

Penny flinched as she moved her wrist. The bindings around it were pretty tight and the metal that prevented her from dropping the chalk didn't help either. It was so clunky and stiff, manuevering was nearly impossible. She wondered if Von had even checked the machine to make sure that it didn't cause such a huge problem for her. She doubted it. After all, why would he 'waste time' on that?

Dr. Von Doktor was staring at her expectantly. She could feel his gaze upon the back of her head, staring at the monitor that was placed in front of her. She could feel his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it, waiting for her to begin drawing.

She stared at the monitor before her. For now, it was nothing but blackness. But once she would start drawing, it would show the actions to Von on the screen. Something was going to pop up on there, revealing the actions that she took and allowing him to analyze them and see what exactly she is doing that is activating the chalk. There would be no way she could hide it. Every move she made was triggering something on the screen. Flickers here or there.

She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about the situation that she was in. Her agreeing to try to be cooperative with Von may have been the biggest mistake she ever made. By doing so, she was opening up the door of opportunity to this man, letting him be able to create his own magic chalk. If he succeeded in that, then he would be able to make _his own magic chalk_ at any time and enter ChalkZone. The thought sent ice through her body. And there was nothing she could do about it now. She had already made the deal. She had put herself in this situation. She could only hope that his findings fail.

She didn't have nothing but regret for this, however. Her act still gave the other zoners some time to get away. Blocky needed to get to the hospital, and the sooner they got there, the better. Both Snap and Howdy knew the way and they would be able to guide all the zoners back, including Blocky. That was the only consolace she had in this whole mess.

She had no idea how well Blocky was going to hold up. He had been so badly hurt while he was here. It scared her knowing that she was not even aware of everything that had been done to him. A part of her wanted to ask Von, but another part felt disgusted by the idea; surely Von would draw it out and try to make it like such an act of achievement. _How disgusting_... At least Blocky would not have to worry about this madman ever again. She and the others would make sure of that.

Of course, she'd have to figure a way out of this first. She would try to struggle, but it was _useless_. She had been bound to the machine, and all the needles and such in her arm prevented her from moving it around too much. She wondered if part of the reason he put the monitor stuff on was to make her nervous about jerking around to get free.

Knowing there was presently nothing she could do to sway the man or get out of here, and knowing that he could go back on his word at any moment and go after the zoners, Penny did the only option she had left.

She began to draw.

Or rather, pretended to, considering there was no surface. She raised the chalk up and moved it around, acting as if she were trying to draw something simple. She made a few quick motions with her wrist. Doing so prompted some flashes to show up, but not too much. Certainly not enough for the man to get anything out of it.

"_Zat waz it_?" Dr. Von Doktor said. "I didn't see anything unusual." She gently pushed on Penny's shoulder. "Try again. And I mean _actually try_."

Penny growled softly, but she didn't attempt to argue with the man. She started to move her wrist again, this time trying to exert more force and more slowly. This allowed for more screen time for the electric pulses on the screen. She pretended to draw something larger and more complex. She could practically feel the lines being formed, even though she knew this wasn't the case.

But despite this extra effort, she didn't notice much of a change on the screen. Well except for prolonged visions on the screen, but other than that, nothing. No big changes. Nothing that seemed like it would be useful, especially judging by the frustrated growl she could hear behind her. The low rumble in the man's throat made her flinch.

Penny kept trying. She tried different ways to draw. She tried moving her wrists further back, slower, faster. She tried more complex drawings as well as many simple ones. She tried angling her arm differently the best she could. But no matter what she tried, the result was _always_ the same. The screen would only show bits of flashes, indicating where muscles had been moving, which also helped to show more of the arm's insides as well. A part of her was grateful as it meant a delay in the man's schemes. But on the other hand, it also was driving the man _angrier and angrier_, prompting her to try harder, despite all the failed attempts.

Eventually, the man gave a snort and walked away from her. Penny could feel him brush past her. He walked out towards the monitor, standing on her right side. He stared down at the monitor, his lip curling up in disgust. He rubbed the top of his bald head.

"I don't get it. It _should_ be working." He grabbed onto the monitor and shook it a little. "Maybe it waz not hooked up right." He suddenly shot Penny a look.

The girl pulled her head back, staring at him in confusion. "What? I didn't do _anything_!"

"Are you sure you didn't..." Von started to say.

Penny cocked up an eyebrow. "How do you think I can do anything when I'm _tied up like this_?" She took a moment to look left and right, and then she stared back at the man. "Unless you think I have genie powers, there's very little I can do right now except talk to you." She turned her head, baring her teeth. "Which I'm not particularly enjoying right now..." She added in a low whisper.

Von said, "Well you could have..." The man stopped, his eyes widening slightly. Then he gave an exasperated sigh. "Okay, I get it. You aren't behind ziz after all." He turned back to the monitor. "But I _ztill_ don't underztand why it wazn't working. I zought I accounted for _everyzing_." He rubbed his head, continuing to stare at the monitor in confusion.

Penny remained silent. She didn't want to get dragged into another conversation with him. Besides, she didn't need to attempt to keep his attention; he was already giving her, or rather the machine she was hooked up to, his full attention. As annoying as this was, and how nervous she was if he succeeded, at least she was giving time for the others to escape.

The man began to move around her, his body moving from one side of her to the other. For an old guy, he moved pretty quickly. She could fee his fingers move along her arm. She flinched, not enjoying the touch. But she kept quiet, not wanting to do or say anything to distract him from this. She kept her eye on the guy, her pupil zipping from one side to the other as the man worked on the cords, adjusting them, wriggling the needles in a little more, and readjusting other things.

The girl did her best to ignore whatever discomfort that she was in. Despite her efforts, she couldn't help but flinch everytime she felt a needle or other monitor thing being moved or wriggled around. The feeling of a needle moving _underneath her skin_ was not the most pleasant thing she had every experienced before in her life.

The man's grumbles certainly weren't helping, either. She had no idea what he was saying, though she was able to pick up a word or two. They weren't enough for her to fully understand, however, and she was kept in the dark. He must be speaking his original language. It made her wonder for a few moments if he was doing it like this to limit the chance of her doing something to ruin it. Or perhaps he was thinking out loud and he didn't want her to hear.

Her curiosity was greatly piqued the more times she heard him grumble. Just what was he talking about? Was he planning something? Was he shooting the breeze and momentarily forgot she couldn't speak...whatever language he spoke?

She didn't have to think about that for very long. The man's grumbling stopped and, after a few minutes of uncomfortableness and having her arm touched and manipulated by this man, he let go, moving out in front of her.

The man stared at her with a frown, one arm pressed against himself, the other bent upwards, his hand pressing against his chin thoughtfully. Penny kept quiet, staring at him nervously. He rubbed his chin back and forth, his pupils moving around to give Penny a visual examination of sorts. Then he gave a smile.

"_Ah yez_... Ziz should do zee trick!" Von said, his voice dripping with the utmost confidence. He then walked back over to Penny. He positioned himself behind her again. He motioned his hand out, filling Penny's peripherial vision. "Come on, Penny. _Ztart drawing again_."

Penny glared softly at him. She wanted to say something to him, but she knew better than that, and she stifled herself. She did as she was told and she flicked her wrists around, activating the monitor in front of her.

sss

Snap couldn't believe it. How could he have been _so stupid_? How could he have _not realized_ what had happened? He had put himself in charge of leading Dr. Von Doktor away from the others. And he had been doing such a good job of it for the most part. He thought he had managed to keep the man's attention and divert him away from his friends and the zoners. How could he have not noticed that the man had turned tail and went down a different direction?

Snap felt like slapping himself in the face. He should have been checking more frequently to ensure the man was following him. He should have been listening more carefully, keeping an ear out for his footfalls.

Instead, he had allowed his own arrogance get in his way. He had been so confident that his plan was working, he didn't feel the need to check. He was just certain that Von would be there, trying to catch up to him. How ironic that he let arrogance screw up his judgment, considering that he and his friends would accuse Von of the same thing. Arrogance had often been the downfall of many a villain, and now it was going to be the thing that was going to mess him up. He could only hope that he would find his friends in time, before any damage could be done.

_But where would they be_? He didn't recognize this part of the building. He was getting himself quite lost. He had been choosing random paths earlier more often than he thought. Without being able to tell where he was, he couldn't figure out which way to go find his friends. He could feel his heart clench in terror, realizing that he might have just doomed the others.

_Oh, why didn't he pay more attention_? Why wasn't he _more_ vigilant? Why didn't he take the time to look behind him to make sure that the man was actually following him? Why did he have to be _so stupid_ and just assume the man was following him instead of just _actually_ checking?

He tried to stop kicking himself over this. What was done was done, and there was nothing he could do about it now. He focused on trying to fix it. Despite the fact that he hadn't yet found the others, or found any sign of them, he knew he did not fail yet. He'd only fail if he stopped entirely and dropped to the ground or went off to do something else. He wasn't about to do that, and he continued to press on. His friends were counting on him. He needed to find them and _fast_.

He hoped that Dr. Von Doktor hadn't found them yet. He hoped that the zoners were able to get away from him, if the man had actually found them. He couldn't begin to imagine what Von was going to do to them once he was all caught up with them. And somehow, he really didn't want to know.

As he continued to move down the corridors, making right turns then left and repeat, he started to wonder about that ringing earlier. It thankfully stopped, although the warping sound it made suggested that it simply ran out of power. He wondered just what kind of alarm would go on for that long and just where it came from. He thought he had some idea on this, but his head had been pounding so hard during the event, he forgot.

At least it stopped now. The only thing he could hear in the hallways now was his own breathing, and his own footfalls. His eardrums were still reverberating slightly from the loud ring he was forced to endure. They were still feeling some bit of relief, however, and in a few minutes, this should go away completely, or so he hoped.

He didn't pay that too much mind. At the moment, his mind was elsewhere. He needed to focus on figuring out who to find the others and help them. He didn't know exactly where to start looking, or what floor to start on. He couldn't even hear anything in these hallways, despite how _quiet_ it was. He hoped that this quietness was due to the zoners escaping. Otherwise, he would feel ice shoot through his body because then he would realize that something really bad had happened. _And the severity of it_... The only way to know was to check and hope for the best. He continued on his way.

Suddenly, without warning, he heard something in the hallway. It was pretty far away sounding at first. A long, continuous sound. Despite not getting a good, clear sound of what it was like, he could still feel something clutch at his heart. There was something _very_ wrong here. Something about this just didn't..._feel right_ to him. Something about the sound was..foreboding to him.

And the fact that there were many of these sounds, _and they sounded as though they were coming from all directions_...

Snap turned around upon hearing a crash and a yelp. He whirled himself around, narrowing his eyes in determination. He glared at the approaching shadow, which appeared to pick up some speed. He raised his fists into the air, fully preparing for a fight. Whoever had dared to sneak up on him, they were going to get a good, rude wake up call. _No one_ sneaks up behind him and...

He froze, staring ahead in shock. The figure had appeared out in the open, tripping over a rock and causing him to stumble. Normally such a scene would invoke at least a quick chuckle from him, but this time, such a notion was far removed from his mind, and instead all he could do was focus on the shape that the shadow had apparently formed from.

It was one of the zoners from the group. The one that had been with them when they were trying to find the portal to help Howdy. The zoner was a small stick figure zoner, and he was presently down on his knees after another trip, his body shaking in fear. His head was turned, his wide eyes looking at behind him as though he were expecting someone to show up at any time. He turned his head from right to left frantically, his wide eyes appearing to search for something.

The zoner's presence and his anxious demeanor sent a shiver up Snap's spine, filling his mind with many questions. A couple in particular stuck out to him the most and he could not make it go away.

_Just what happened that made this zoner run away_? Why was he so _terrified_? Where were the others? Were they okay? _Were they captured_? Was this guy sent for help or had he been one of the lucky few that escaped? Were the others captured or did they manage to get away from Von and were just in another part of the building?

Wanting to begin to find answers, the small blue and white zoner approached the stick figure slowly, cautiously. "_Hey_..."

The zoner didn't answer him. He did turn around and acknowledge him, but instead of staying and telling him anything, the zoner started to dart off down the hallway. Snap stared at this in shock for a few moments. He wondered just what could have happened to trigger such a reaction. He then shook his head and he darted off after the zoner.

It didn't take him too long to reach him. He moved around in front of the zoner, stopping him in his path. The stick figure zoner stared at him, panting heavily, as if he had been running for a long time. Snap shared a few pants himself, placing his hands on his legs and trying to catch his breath. He stared at the zoner sympathetically for a couple seconds. Then he spoke quickly.

"_What's going on_?!"

The zoner looked behind him nervously, his eyes zipping around as if he thought something was going to happen to him. He looked back at Snap, his expression indicating that he thought the superhero zoner was going to hurt him too. Snap bit his lip at this. He wondered just what had this zoner so spooked.

"Everybody...ran... Loud noise... Human..k-killed another.." The zoner said. His voice was so panty and soft, it was difficult to make out. But it didn't matter. Snap could make out enough and his eyes widened in horror.

"You mean that... Dr. Von Doktor _killed someone else_?" Snap whispered softly. The zoner nodded his head meekly. "Who?"

"Arnold." The zoner said. He gritted his teeth and looked around nervously. "I-I don't know if he took anybody else..." He gave a quick shudder. "I just ran...so fast.. I didn't look back.. Others ran too."

Snap remained frozen where he stood, letting his mind shift through the thoughts, trying to come to terms with what the zoner had told him. He could feel his heart sting, realizing just how screwed up things had gotten.

Von killing another zoner was bad enough. He didn't know what possessed the man to murder another zoner, and he didn't are what the reason was. And the thought of another zoner being killed, and the chances were quite high and this zoner was just too panicked to remember, it sent a knife through his chest. He wondered how many other zoners Von had slaughtered in cold blood while he was gone.

The zoners being scattered was not good either. According to this zoner, at least some of them ran when the ringing had been going on. They could be anywhere in this building, _or even outside_... He shuddered at that thought. He knew what would happen if any of the zoners had gotten outside and wandered around. The more humanoid ones would probably be fine, _but the lesser human-like ones_...

What were they going to do now? He needed a way to round up those missing zoners, but he didn't even know where to look. He wasn't sure how many had scattered, and he doubted this zoner knew the answer to that. He was too shaken to give much of an answer.

But they had to figure out something sooner or later. He wasn't sure exactly what Dr. Von Doktor was doing right now. But he didn't want to take the chance. _Several lives_ were at stake.

Turning his attention back to the stick figure zoner, he said, "I know you may not be comfortable with talking about this right now. But you need to tell me where the others are."

"I-I don't remember..." The zoner said softly.

"Can you at least take me back the way you came?" Snap suggested. "Maybe it'll come back to you."

The zoner shook his head. "N-No.. I don't want to..."

Snap frowned softly at this. "I understand that you are scared. But if you don't help me, many lives may be destroyed today. You don't want that, now do you?" The zoner shook his head. "I thought not. Now please..." Snap placed a comforting hand on the zoner's shoulder. "Take me there. Please..."

The zoner stared at him for a few moments, biting his lip. He looked down at the hand on his shoulder, and then back. He swallowed nervously. Then, after what felt like forever. He relented. "O-Oh okay.. I'll take you."

Snap smiled at this. "Thank you. And don't worry..." He squeezed his shoulder gently. "You will be fine. _I promise_."

"I hope you're right." The zoner said, his head lowered. He sucked in a deep breath and turned around. He made a quick gesture with his hand for Snap to follow. Soon the pair disappeared down the corridor.

sss

Rudy yelped in pain when he accidentally hit against the wall after a bad turn. He clutched his arm to himself and took a few steps back. His eyes were shut tightly and his teeth bared. He wasn't sure why it hurt so badly. He hadn't even hit it _that_ hard.

He could hear Mrs. Sanchez approach him. Her footsteps were easy to hear in the silence of the hallway. The siren no longer blared but that was of little comfort now as his arm radiated in pain. He looked over, noticing the woman's look of concern. Her eyes were locked onto his arm and her hand was reached out for him.

"Let me look at it." She said.

Rudy hissed softly, his breath escaping through the gaps of his teeth. When Mrs. Sanchez touched his arm lightly, his instincts prompted him to yank his arm away from her, staring at her with wide eyes.

Mrs. Sanchez narrowed her eyes slightly at this. She frowned at him, her gaze silently telling him what she wanted. Rudy glanced down at his arm and back at her, yet he still remained where he was. The woman attempted to reach out again, this time moving faster. Her attempts failed as the boy nearly jumped back, holding his arm as tightly as he could against his chest. He stared at her wide-eyed, gritting his teeth. The woman let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head.

He did feel guilty for acting this way. He just couldn't help it. He found it difficult to hold himself still, difficult to allow the woman to look at his arm.

"Rudy..._let me see it_." Mrs. Sanchez's voice was more stern this time. It was almost an order, rather than a request.

Rudy responded by taking a step back. He shook his head. "I-It _hurts_..."

"I know, dear. I want to help you, but I can't do that unless you let me look at your arm." Mrs. Sanchez said. Her narrowed eyes looked at his arm. "It looks like you hit against your bite wound. You might have _worsened_ it."

Rudy shot a looked down at his arm. Was that the reason why it hurt so bad? He shuddered as he remembered what it felt like when Penny's teeth sank into his skin. And now that Mrs. Sanchez brought that up, this pain..._it does feel exactly like that_. Yes..there was a _strong similarity_. At this, his arm started to hurt even more, making him whimper and cradle his arm gently. This served as a reminder that just because his arm was treated did not mean the pain was going to go away that fast.

He glanced back at Mrs. Sanchez. She was still glaring at him, but her expression held little anger. More just frustration, and mostly worry. Rudy still felt reluctance. Despite knowing that Mrs. Sanchez just wanted to help him, the pain was messing with his head a little, and his instincts were telling him to get away.

The woman took a step towards him. She glared softly at him and said, "_Rudy... Come on now_. Let me look at it."

Rudy took another step away from her. In the moment, he had forgotten where he was and what he was doing. All his mind was aware of was his painful arm and the persistant vet, who kept trying to get close enough to look at it.

As he continued to resist, Mrs. Sanchez started to look angrier and angrier. Rudy couldn't help but wonder if the woman was going to try to grab him. Not exactly professional, but his behavior might spawn such an action. He tried to settle himself down. He tried to slow down his heart, beating so past he could hear it clang against his ribcage. Yet he found it difficult to do so.

After a few moments, Mrs. Sanchez's expression softened up. She lowered herself slightly, bringing her head down to his level. This helped settle him down slightly, but it did little to fully alleviate his fear. "Rudy, I know you're scared. But you've got to trust me. Let me look at that arm so I can help you." The woman said gently. "I'm _not_ going to hurt you. You should know that."

"I..I know..." Rudy lowered his head in shame.

"Then let me _look_ at it." Mrs. Sanchez said. Rudy glanced up at her, biting his lip nervously. The woman reached her hand forward, the palm facing up. She looked at him expectantly. Rudy simply glanced at her hand, not making a move. "It's okay, honey. It's okay..." She whispered softly.

Rudy could feel his breathing slowing down, his heart rate returning to normal. He could feel the air around him rapidly get calmer, the tension leaving. The difference he felt was astronomical. He no longer felt as though he were trying to swim through an invisible thickness. He let out a soft sigh, relaxation starting to take the place of his previous fear.

He knew the woman was right. She had to look at his arm. She was a vet after all. While there wasn't exactly that much time to treat it since they had to find the others and help them, there was enough time for a quick examination.

And it wasn't just his arm that needed to be looked at. There was the nail in his stomach as well. There was no way it could be removed right now; it might have pierced something vital. The nail being in there was the only thing preventing massive internal bleeding. _But the risk of infection_... Rudy could only hope that they would find some medication somewhere to help treat it. After they got out of here, he could go over to Mrs. Sanchez. She'd have something to help him, he was certain.

His shoulders relaxing, his body no longer stiff and rigid, Rudy moved his arm out towards the woman, holding it out for her to look at. He winced a little as the woman grabbed his arm. Despite how gentle she was being, he could still feel a slight jolt of pain in his arm. He turned his head away and closed his eyes as the woman began to lift up the bandage. He waited in silence for the results.

After a few moments of the woman touching and feeling his arm, and starting at the wound, prodding it gently, he could feel the fingers leave his arm and his limb was freed. He opened up one eye to make sure the bandage had been reset, and then he looked at Mrs. Sanchez expectantly.

"Your arm is fine. You didn't hit it that hard. All you did was irritate the wound." Mrs. Sanchez said. Rudy couldn't help but notice a slight flinch in her eyes. He wondered if she was unnerved by the sight of her own daughter's bite mark. "You _still_ should let me look at that other wound." Her eyes trailed over towards the stomach wound. "It needs to be..."

"I know." Rudy said, interrupting her. "But we don't have _time_ for _that_ now. We need to..."

They were both stunned into silence when they heard loud screams echoing in the hallways. It wasn't as loud as the siren was, but it was enough to irritate their ears. They both glanced at each other, wondering what the sound could be.

The sound itself was inconsistant. Sometimes the sounds were much closer, other times they were far away and distant. Then some were intermediate, and others were so distorted, neither of them could tell what it was. It didn't take them long to conclude that the sound was coming from multiple sources, clearly from different locations. There was nothing else that could explain it. It forced them both to make an uneasy conclusion.

There were _multiple individuals_ screaming. And neither of them knew exactly why.

Rudy felt his heart race against his chest. _Could Dr. Von Doktor have already made a move_? Was he too late to stop him from going after the zoners? _After Penny_?

Immediately, the boy started to make his way down the hallway despite not being able to pinpoint an exact direction to go in. The sudden move caused him to irritate his stomach wound and he yelped in pain. He dropped down onto one knee and clutched his stomach. He seethed, clenching his teeth, and tried to ride out the pain.

"That...was a _terrible_ idea..." Rudy hissed at himself, his eyes remaining shut. He felt the woman grab onto his arm and pull him slowly up to his feet. He stood there, hunched over, his mouth open and panting. "Thank...you." He managed to say through his pain.

Mrs. Sanchez grabbed onto his uninjured arm and steadied it, allowing him to lean against her for support. Rudy looked up at her gratefully, not needing to say anything as his eyes held the message quite strongly. The two of them then began to make their way down the hallway. Rudy wasn't sure who or what they were going to run into, but he knew the only way to find out what was going on was to locate the source of that noise.

His heart tightened at a horrible thought: what if Von had started to _torment_ more of the zoners? What if he decided to toss out all precaution and start hurting _Penny_, too?

He narrowed his eyes. _If Von dare do something like that_...

He and Mrs. Sanchez quickened their pace.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor hissed through clenched teeth, his hand formed into a fist and shaking it. He glared at the monitor, grinding his teeth so much he thought they would break from the pressure.

_Why wasn't it working_? Why _wasn't_ the monitor showing him _anything_? He wasn't sure what he could be doing wrong. He doublechecked the equipment and it was all good and fine. He tried different hookups and settings, but that did not give much of a result. Hardly anything had changed. He tried grabbing the girl's hand and manipulating it himself, thinking that maybe she was purposely not trying all that hard with the magic chalk, as if she were trying to deliberately hide its secrets from him.

But absolutely nothing worked. There were no changes in what he was seeing. There was no indication that the magic chalk had tried to activate. There was just.._nothing_. The monitor and equipment were treating the chalk as if it was just another piece of ordinary chalk. But the sparkles that shot out from it... It was clear there was something special about this chalk. _But why won't his monitors show that_...?

He remembered what the girl had said. The magic chalk only activated in the hand of a human. It did not work with zoners, but a human could use it just fine. There was something about them, and the magic chalk itself, that made the difference. If _only_ he could find the trigger point...

Maybe there was something else. Yes..._that was it_. There was something he was forgetting. That was the only thing that would make sense. _This girl_... She must be hiding something else from him. A secret password perhaps? Or a secret movement that she hadn't yet tried? There was something more to this, and she knew what it was.

And yet she chose to hide it. _Sneaky little girl_... Did she not know what the deal was? Did she forget the whole reason he even stopped going after her friends? And yet here she was, trying to deny him what was rightfully his. _The little bitch_... Well, there was more than one way to get what he wanted. He couldn't help but smirk inwardly for a few seconds. He quickly wiped the smile off, not wanting Penny to catch on that he got an idea.

Narrowing his eyes again, he moved away from Penny, rounding his path around so he could look at her in the eyes. She glared at him, but it wasn't just anger he could detect. There was some hesitation and uncertainty in those eyes. A sense of helplessness. _Good_. She did have some understanding of the situation at hand.

He decided to cut to the chase instead of making the girl wait. "Why izn't it working?"

Penny turned her head away at this, remaining silent. This caused Von to feel his face start to heat up. _Oh no_, she was _not_ going to give him the silent treatment.

"Answer me!" He shouted at her, his voice nearly booming. "Tell me why it izn't working! You know why! Zpill zee beans, little girl!"

Penny hissed, refusing to look at him. "Nothing is wrong. I'm doing what I can. It's not _my_ fault it won't activate." Von gave her a warning growl, attempting to prompt her to speak. "You can do that all you want to, Dr. Von Doktor..." She lifted up her head and gave him a bitter smile. "It's not going to change a _damn thing_."

Dr. Von Doktor growled at this but quickly regained his composure, remembering what he had decided upon. He merely smiled at this, taking note of how unnerved Penny appeared to be by this. "Zo...you _really_ don't have _any idea_ what elze you can do?"

Penny shook her head. "I already tried everything. If you think I'm trying to hide something, then you're wrong!" Penny leaned forward in a thrust, her narrowed eyes attempting to stare right through him. "Don't be so paranoid! If I was going to hide anything from you, I wouldn't have agreed to this!"

Von pretended to not hear her speak for the most part. He simply rubbed his chin lightly, his head tilted upwards towards the ceiling. "Zo _nozing_ was mizzed? No zecret move? Nozing you might have _forgotten about_?"

"No." Penny said.

"Hmm..." He turned his head to the side, giving Penny a sideways glance out of his eye. "And you are pozitive?"

"_Yes_! I _told_ you already!" Penny said, the volume of her voice revealing just how annoyed she was with him. But he also detected some level of fear. "I did what I could! If nothing showed up, then nothing showed up! Simple as that!"

Dr. Von Doktor tuned the girl out after that. He thought about what his next move was going to be. He thought the girl was lying, but perhaps she wasn't. Maybe she really couldn't get the machine to activate, no matter how hard she tried. Maybe he needed to approach this from a new angle and...

No, the girl was _lying_. She _knew_ how to use the magic chalk, so she should know how to activate it. She was just not trying _hard enough_. And if she continued to be resistant, then he was just going to have to try new ways to make her relent. She might be trying to be brave right now, but everyone had their breaking point. Everyone had that thing that motivated them the most. And he already had some ideas on what he could try.

He folded his arms behind his back. "It'z zuch a _pity_..." He said softly. He began to pace back and forth in front of Penny. "You keep trying to resist me. You refuse to cooperate. I zought you gave me your word, Penny."

Penny gritted her teeth. "_I did_! I told you I..."

"Zen why do you continue to lie to me?" Von asked, his voice deepening. "Do you zink it'z funny to toy with me? Do you get zome kind of kick out of making me work tirelezzly to get the magic chalk to activate?"

Penny flinched at this, clearly detecting his slight change in demeanor. She moved her head back, turning her head from one side to the other, as if looking for a way out. "I-I...No." She kept her answer short and to the point. "I don't find it funny."

Von took a few steps towards her. "Zen why do you continue on doing it?"

"I'm _not_." Penny replied. "Please, why can't you just accept facts? I can't get the machine to register anything but..."

Von rushed towards her quickly, his feet pounding the ground. He reached her so fast, she had to lean backwards to avoid hitting her head against him. Von grabbed onto her arm gently, leaning close to her. His eyes were close to hers, and he could feel the tension between them. Penny attempted to turn her head away, but he grabbed onto her scalp tightly, preventing movement.

"I'm _zick_ of playing games, Penny." Von hissed at her. "I have been doing my bezt to be fair, but it seems you don't understand zat conzept at all. Zo...perhapz I should try _another_ approach..."

The man released her quickly and walked around behind her. Penny's body gave a quick shiver as she felt him move quickly behind her. The man soon reached her other side, his eyes staring down at her arm. He focuseed his attention on the bandage that wrapped around this arm. It was thicker and larger than the others, and it looked relatively new.

Penny took notice of this and her eyes widened slowly. She stared at him with an expression that was almost pleading. "_What..what are you going to do_?"

Von just stared at her. His expression was tranquil, a smile on it. This only unnerved Penny further and she tried to lean away from him. He simply watched her struggle in the machine she was bound into. He stared down at her arm again, his smile spreading further, becoming slightly more twisted after a couple seconds. Then, without giving her any warning, he seized her arm, his hand tightening _right on the bandaged area_.

"_Ouch_!" Penny yelped in pain. She tried to pull her arm away from him. But he simply tightened his grip. "_Yeow! Please let go_!"

Von squeezed the arm tigther, prompting the girl's face to contort in agony. She lowered her head and bared her teeth, trying to ride out the pain. His lip curled up in a small snarl. "I will be glad to let go...az zoon az you tell me what I want to know."

"I.. _Ow_! I _already_ told you... I..did what I could..." Penny shut her eyes tightly, a few tears beginning to form. "Please let go... _Please_! I..._Yowch_!" Penny cried out.

"I am _not_ playing _gamez _anymore, _little girl_." Dr. Von Doktor said his voice icy. He began to dig his fingernails into her arm. He knew if he kept this up, she would eventually relent. No one can resist pain _forever_. Sooner or later, there was a breaking point. As he continued to hold her arm like this, he noticed her body starting to shiver from pain. "Zo eizer you tell me what I want to know, or..."

Without warning, there was a sudden crash. The man's body gave a jerk of surprise, his hand releasing Penny's arm on reflex. For a second or two, he remained still, his body giving a couple of shivers of its own, though out of shock, not pain. He turned himself around, looking towards the door that he thought for certain he had secured.

His eyes widened at what he saw. There, standing in the door way, was Rudy, Mrs. Sanchez, and two large zoners, both of which looked terrified, yet still glared at him. They must have been the ones who knocked down the door.

"_Let. Her. Go_!" Rudy yelled, pointing a finger at him.

"_Rudy_?!" Penny cried out in shock. "_Mom_?!"

"Don't worry, dear. We'll get out out of here!" Mrs. Sanchez called out to her daughter.

For a few seconds, Dr. Von Doktor remained silent. He stared at the intruders, his eyes wide in shock, his body stunned and frozen. His mind reeled as he tried to figure out how this happened, constantly asking himself if it really did happen at all or if he was just hallucinating. He shook his head once and rubbed his eye, and at last, his mind could finally register that, yes, this was indeed happening.

But even then, it was still hard for him to fully accept it. _How did the woman get out of her trap_? How did Rudy manage to get out with _that kind of wound_ he gave him? He could see the zoners finding him by mistake, but the mother and the boy? He had taken care of them both. There was no way they should have been able to escape and get to him. They should be laying down on the ground, in to much pain to move. How had they managed to get away?

Such questions would have to be asked later. The scientist pushed aside his stunned feelings aside the best he could, trying to focus on what he was going to do next. His scientific mind sifted through multiple thoughts as he tried to think of a solution. There was always a way out. He just needed to think hard enough. If he kept it up, something would present itself.

Then something popped into his head. But before he could even think of making the move, the two large zoners rushed over towards him quickly Penny, each grabbing onto his arm with both hands. They secured him a few feet away. The man struggled against their grasp, but they were too strong. He gave up trying and he turned his head to watch Mrs. Sanchez and Rudy rush over towards Penny.

"Penny!" Mrs. Sanchez said as soon as she reached her daughter. "Are you okay?" She looked at her daughter up and down. "He didn't hurt you badly, did he?"

Penny shook her head. She then stared at her mother in horror as she noticed the marks on her body. "Mama..._what happened to you_...?"

"I think I know." Rudy said as he glared off in Von's direction. "_Am I right_?"

Von hissed in response to the others glaring at him. He gritted his head and pulled his head back. He refused to say a word. He simply glared right back at them. He noted their expressions, how anger-filled they were. Penny's had more shock in it as she realized what he had truly done with her mother. He responded to her expression with a smirk, prompting her friend and mother to move closer towards her defensively.

Von soon realized something. It would seem the mother must know about zoners now. He wondered how long she knew. If she didn't know before, well there was _no way_ she could deny the evidence before her. He couldn't help but smirk at this.

"I zee the cat'z out of the bag now, _eh_..?" The man said with a smile.

"What is all of this?" Mrs. Sanchez demanded as she looked at the machine Penny was hooked up to. She did not make any attempt to respond to his statement. "_What were you doing_?"

The scientist sneered, "I waz trying to get answerz. But _your_ daughter..._she_ waz being zo...uncooperative." He turned his gaze towards the girl, narrowing his eyes as he continued to speak. "I don't know why she refused to do what I asked. I didn't even azk _that much_ of her. All she had to do waz pretend that she waz in zat chalk world and pretend to draw with zee chalk. That would have activated zee machine and I would have seen for _myself_ what waz going on. A z_imple_ task..."

The three glared back at him. He returned this favor by narrowing his eyes deeper, some anger and frustration starting to surface up again.

"But of courze, she dezided to make zingz difficult! Time and again, she did whatever she could to ensure there would be no resultz! I had done my bezt to be fair with zee little _bitc_h, but she..."

"_Don't you ever speak to my daughter like that again_..." Mrs. Sanchez hissed.

Von smirked at her. "Do you want anozer trip down into the 'azid pit', dear?" Mrs. Sanchez widened her eyes at this, and then glared at him. He merely chuckled, turning his head to one side so he could stare at them with a single eye. He spoke with his teeth showing, a nasty grin. "Do you really zink you've won _at all_? Do you zink you have gained the upperhand?"

Rudy hissed at this. As Mrs. Sanchez started to unhook her daughter, as the zoners tightened their grip on him, Rudy took a few steps towards the man. He seemed a little hesitant, as though he wasn't sure what to expect. But courage got the better of the boy and he soon got within a few paces of the man. "You have lost. That is how we know we have won."

"And how are you zertain _you have won_?"

"_Take a look around you_!" Rudy replied, raising his arms up in the air. There was some slight hesitation and a bit of pained jerking from his wounds, especially in his stomach. "We have you apprehended! You are _outnumbered_! Tell me exactly how you can turn this all in your favor, when you can't even move your arms?"

Dr. Von Doktor sneered at this, giving a cold chuckle. "Oh like ziz, you ztupid little boy." Without warning, he bit down on one of the zoner's arms, pressing his teeth down against the chalky flesh.

The zoner's eyes widened and he let out a scream. Von bit down harder, using his saliva to let his teeth sink in further. He ignored the dusty texture and the chalky taste as he continued to bite down. The zoner tried to pull his arm away and this prompted the man to bite down even harder, and soon he tore off a piece of flesh. The zoner released him and stumbled back, cradling his arm against himself and letting out a scream of pain.

"_No_!" The other zoner shouted, releasing Von as he rushed over to his comrade. "_Are you okay_?!"

"I...no... _Ouch_..it hurts _so_ bad." The other zoner whimpered as he clutched his arm to himsef.

Von smiled at this. He licked his lips slowly, tasking a thick layer of chalk where the blood and flesh clung to him. He then turned his head and stared at Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez, all of him stared at him in a mixture of horror and shock and disgust. He wanted to laugh, the desperation he felt in wanting to achieve his goals getting to him even more. Somehow, he managed to hold back, save for a couple of chortles.

Now was time to pull the string out from underneath them. Now was the time to show them just how royally screwed they were. They might view him as some crazy old man, but wait until they get a load of this.

"I zink you lot ought to be a little more careful...becauze you never know when somezing like z_iz_ will happen!"

With that, he rushed towards the wall, to a metal box that was mounted on there. He opened it up, revealing several buttons and a lever. Giving them one more sneer, he slammed a few buttons and then pulled the lever. There was a loud whirring sound, a spark and a snap, and then silence.

A few seconds later, the sound of distant slamming could be heard. It was faint, though some sounded a bit louder than others. The slamming reminded the old man of sliding doors. And they just kept happening all around him, creating something of a choir. The zoners and the three humans looked left and right as they tried to make sense of it. All the while, Von just smirked at them. Who outsmarted who now?

"_What..did you do_...?" Penny asked after a couple of tense moments, the echoing of slams finally ceasing.

With a nasty grin spreading across his face, a swell of pride and arrogance filling inside his chest, Von gave a short, precise answer. "_None_ of you will be leaving now."


	34. Threats

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 34: Threats

_**It is amazing what you can make people do with a few simple words...**_

sss

Rapsheeba froze when another siren sounded out. The zoners in her group, including Howdy, froze in their tracks. They looked left and right, trying to find the source of the source of the sound. It was echoing in all directions, as if it were some omnipresent individual.

"_What is this_?!" Howdy shouted, trying to keep his voice high enough for the others to hear.

"I don't know, but it's _so loud_!" Called one of the zoners.

"Yeah! Blocky is lucky he doesn't have to hear this!" Called the zoner that was holding onto Blocky's unconscious form.

Rapsheeba wasn't sure if she would call Blocky being unconscious 'lucky'. The poor guy was running into the danger of being comatose, and there was nothing good about that. But she could see why the zoner would say that. This noise was rather irritating and she felt as though her ears were about to pop. They thought that they were out of the woods with this, since the last set of sirens stopped a while ago. Now they're _back_.

Well, sort of. These sirens were of a different pitch and had a different pattern to them. They weren't long and outstretched. Instead, they were slightly higher pitched and they were brief. Almost like a _click-click-click_ kind of sound.

Either way, its sudden appearance was irritating, making her want to cover her ears all the time, lest they start bleeding out from ruptured eardrums. The zoner who had to hold onto Blocky was in a less than amusing position. He had to hold onto Blocky with one arm, so he only had one free. He could over one ear, but the other, he had to use his shoulder. Not very affective. Rapsheeba couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Despite the noise, however, she, Howdy, and the two other zoners, along with the unconscious Blocky, continued their trek down the hallway. They had quickened their pace, hoping that they would get away from the sound faster, or the sound would die off sooner or later.

But just as with the ringing before, this seemed to last for quite some time. There didn't seem to be any end in sight, much to their dismay. They kept on going, however, knowing that standing around would do them no good. Maybe if they kept on running, they would find the portal, or some kind of exit that would grant them reprive from that _horrid, ear-destroying_ sound.

However, it seemed fate had another idea. As they turned around the corner, without warning, there was a loud shing sound and they were instantly greeted by a large, grey door. They all let out screams of surprise and they attempted to skid to a stop. They weren't able to in time, however, and they smashed against the large, cold surface. They let out yelps of pain as they stumbled back, holding onto their faces.

It took the zoners a few seconds to fully realize what kind of situation that they were in. They looked left and right, realizing that they were _trapped_.

Immediately, there was a rise of tension in the air. Rapsheeba did her best to remain calm, and it appeared Howdy was trying to as well, although he still looked around nervously. The other zoners looked more worried, and the two smaller zoners were starting to hyperventilate. They began to run around, slamming against the wall, trying to claw at it to escape. They acted very much like trapped wild animals. Rapsheeba would have told them to stop, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get through to them. She took a moment to look around where they were stuck at

The trap was pretty simple. Just a wall in front and behind them. She imagined this wouldn't be hard to install, especially for a scientist. Though she couldn't help but wonder what this was for, what benefit the man had to this. She pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that she would not get any useful results out of it. Instead, she refocused her thoughts on how they were going to get out of here.

"_What are we going to do_?!" Wailed one of the zoners. "_We're trapped_!"

Rapsheeba tried to tune out the screaming and running of those two zoners as she walked towards one of the walls that had appeared. She placed her hand against it, wincing at how ice cold it was. She moved her hand down a little, and then formed a fist. She pounded against it a couple of times. She frowned deeply. "It's solid as a rock. It won't be easy breaking this down."

"_Trapped like animals_!" The other panicking zoner shouted.

The first terrified zoner clutched his face, digging his fingers into his skin. His teeth were clenched. His face looked as though it lost several shades. He looked left and right, rubbing his cheeks up and down. "This is bad... _Really bad_! We shouldn't have left the others! Should have stayed with them! We're _helpless_ now! We're..."

The large zoner that held Blocky snorted at them, clearing his throat to get their attention. The two zoners hunched their shoulders, looking up at him worriedly. "Oh shut up, you two! I'm sure we can find a way out of this!" He turned and looked at Rapsheeba and Howdy. "Isn't that right?"

"Well y-yeah!" Howdy said, his voice having a slight crack of hesitation. He smiled the best he could, an attempt to reassure the two panicky zoners. "We just have to think hard enough and we'll find a way through!"

The two zoners looked at each other nervously. They bit their lips, showing no signs of improvement. They were still hesitant, uncertain. It didn't seem like anything could get through to them. They looked as if they were trying to find some kind of exit for them to bolt out of, like a rabbit getting away from a hungry hawk.

The zoners soon looked back at Howdy, their eyes having a very slight shimmer of hope in them. "You are sure?"

Howdy nodded his head. "Absolutely!"

While Rapsheeba could tell that Howdy was not sure of his own words, she was glad that he was doing what he can to cheer up the frightened zoners. They all needed to remain as calm as possible before they could begin to think of a proper solution to this. She was well aware taht they wouldn't be able to function all taht well if they stood around, allowing fear to take a hold of them, clouding their minds.

Fear would hinder their judgment. Being too afraid would make them jumpy. It was fine to be cautious, but if they were _too much_ on the cautious side and let fear rule them, they would never get too far. They needed to think logically and rationally with this, not allow their own internal worries govern them and make them jump to conclusions.

There had to be some way out of here. She had a feeling there was some kind of flaw or weakness in this type of trap. She looked around and so far didn't spot anything that could be useful to them. But still, she refused to give up. There was some way out of here; she just had to keep thinking and figure it out. That was all she could do. That was all any of them could do. If they simply gave up, they'd never get out, and Von would have won. That wasn't something she felt any of them would willingly allow.

Her eyes fell upon Blocky's unconscious form. She bit her lip, feeling a pang in her chest. Poor Blocky had been through so much lately. _And those injuries_... She knew they would only get worse if they weren't properly treated. She didn't want to imagine just how bad it might get. She didn't want to think of the possibility of her friend being changed for the worse, or permanently damaged in some way. He certainly didn't deserve that. The sooner they get him to a hospital, the better.

But first, they needed to find that darn portal. And they can't do that if they were trapped here. She glanced over at Howdy, giving him a worried expression. The puppet zoner looked back at her, mirroring the look she was giving. Their eyes shared a silent message of mutual understanding, and of equal worry and determination.

Rapsheeba leaned against the wall of the hallway and slid down. She folded her arms against her chest, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. Howdy approached hers lowly and he positioned himself next to her. Rapsheeba watched the corner of her eye as Howdy sat down next to her. She heard the puppet zoner give a worried sigh as he started to think of a way out. She said not a word, keeping herself focused on her own thoughts.

There had to be something they could do. There _had_ to be a way out of here. Rapsheeba did what she could to tune out the zoners before her. She tried to ignore the grumpy large zoner's comments, and the panicky words from the other two zoners. Such a task was rather difficult, but she still managed to pull it off as best as she could. Soon all she was aware of was her own thoughts, her eyes shut to make herself feel as though she were in a black void all by herself. With the distractions minimized as much as possible, she began to think of possible solutions.

Was there something that they had missed? Was there a path to getting out they hadn't thought of yet? It seemed hopeless, for certain. Yet she couldn't help but feel as though something was overlooked, dismissed under the assumption it was useless. After a few seconds, she realized what that was.

They hadn't made sure there were no exits here.

Sure, they couldn't go back or forward. But was there another pathway? Was there a door that they had missed? She didn't recall seeing any and if there was a door, wouldn't the panicked zoners have realized this and headed out? Or were they so worked up that they were constantly missing the obvious?

Rapsheeba opened her eyes and took a look around. Aside from the large zoner face palming at the panicked antics of the two zoners, she didn't really see much. She turned her head from right to left, hoping to find something. But so far, no luck.

Howdy had taken notice of this and he inched his way closer to her. "What are you looking for, Rapsheeba?"

The singer zoner answered, "To see if I can find a way out." She tilted her head up slightly. "I'm certain that there is a way, and I thought that maybe we just overlooked." She sighed and she looked over at Howdy. "So far, though, I'm not seeing _anything_."

The puppet zoner looked up at her sadly. "That's beause I don't think there is anything." He took a moment to look all around before turning his gaze back to her. "The walls are blocking all the paths. Unless we can bypass through the walls themselves, I don't think we're going anywhere."

Rapsheeba frowned at this. She had hoped it wouldn't come down to this. She was hoping that maybe they missed something. It was still possible, but all directions led one way, and that was to being trapped. The area they were stuck in wasn't very large, and nothing was really obstructed, save for areas blocked by the other zoners, and even then, it didn't seem like they could block something as important and noticeable as a door.

"Yeah, perhaps you are right. But..I have to keep looking. There's a way out. I'm sure of it." Rapsheeba said, doing her best to sound hopeful.

"Well I'm glad you are being rather optimistic." Howdy lowered his head. "Because I don't know how long I can be hopeful."

Rapsheeba stared at him sympathetically. After what Howdy had been forced through, she wasn't surprised by this attitude. She wished she could say something to cheer him up, but nothing would come to mind. She could only place her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way, smiling at him the best that she could. He returned it, but she noticed how shaky and uncertain it still looked.

Rapsheeba was about to try to say something to Howdy when something caught her eye. She lifted up her head and leaned it towards the side. Her eyes were glued on something in front of her, just beyond the backside of the large zoner.

"What is it?" Howdy whispered softly, his tone of voice tripping with curiosity. "What do you see?"

The female zoner didn't answer him. She instead focused her attention on what she had spotted. There was something strange on the wall. A formation she hadn't seen before. A slight _bulge_ that she could have sworn wasn't there before. Without thinking, without saying a word, she got up to her feet and walked over slowly.

She stopped in front of the wall. She looked at it up and down. Her eyes focused on the indention she saw before, and then trailed her eyes around, trying to see if there was anything else she hadn't noticed before. It took her a few seconds to notice that there appeared to be some kind of outline. Up and across. It was slight, barely there, but she could see enough that she knew something was different about this thing.

Her eyes soon widened. _Could it be_..? No, it couldn't be _that_ easy, right? There was no way that their answer would be presented to them so quickly. There had to be a kind of catch somehow.

Only one way to find out. The singer zoner took a step closer and placed her hands on the wall. She moved them around, trying to feel what was underneath. It was then she noticed that the wall bent inward, and she thought she heard a tight tear. She continued to have her hands explore the wall, or what was taking the form of a wall. She soon felt around the bulge she saw before, and after some pressure, there was a louder tear and she felt her fingers wrapping around something cold.

It felt cold and hard and..._round_? Her eyes flickering with realization, the singer zoner grabbed onto the fake wall and tore it down some more. The sound of tearing filled the air, making it almost sound like it was someone's birthday, and they were opening the presents. She kept ripping at the wall, which she realized was some kind of thick paper, and soon she was greeted with a sight she did not expect to see.

_How_ was this possible? It couldn't be that easy, right? There..there was _no way_ that...

But it was. As she continued to stare at it, there was no way she could deny what was before her. She turned her head and looked back at the others. Everyone, including the worryworts, had stopped speaking, and were staring in stunned silence at what she had found. They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with shock and uncertainty.

She could hear them murmuring, each asking each other if this was true or not. Multiple questions were asked, but she could hardly hear any of them. Their voices were mumbled and her attention was solely on what she had found. Not even Howdy's voice got to her, nothing more than part of the background noise. She did not move her eyes away from what she had found, not even as she felt Howdy grab onto her arm.

"Rapsheeba... _D-Do you think_...?" Howdy whispered softly.

Rapsheeba did not respond to him. She just kept staring, her head filling with several questions. How could this have been hidden? Why didn't they see it before? How did Von manage to do something like this?

But there was one question that she knew the answer to. She knew exactly what this had been placed here for.

It was to block the door that she had uncovered.

sss

Rudy stared at the man, wide-eyed. He felt as though his heart stopped beating. He could hear the man's words echo in his head over and over. He had a hard time believing it, wondering if the man was just trying to scare them.

But those sounds from before... The loud thuds, the clangs.. There was no way that was faked. He thought back to what the man said. And when he let it all sink in, he could feel a cold chill rush through his body.

"_None_ of you will be leaving now."

Rudy realized, swallowing hard, that the scientist must have had a backup plan. There must have been something he did while none of them were looking. He had set something up and now he had triggered it. And judging from what the man said, it was nothing good. He found himself taking a step back, looking at the man with wide eyes. _Just what did he do_...?

Rudy flinched as he heard the loud siren go off, echoing in the hallways right outside the door. Even though most of the volume was blocked, it was still loud enough to make his ears start to ring a little.

Not far away from him, he could see the two large zoners on the ground, the ones that he and Mrs. Sanchez ran into in the hallway, having been scattered from the others. They were hunching their shoulders and clenching their teeth as they tred to handle the loud sound. The injured zoner was still holding onto his arm, blood still seeping from the wound.

He looked over at Penny and Mrs. Sanchez. At this point, Penny had been freed from the machine. Penny was holding onto her mother, the two joining together in a tight hug. Rudy wondered just what Von had put her through. She looked so frightened and shaken. What startled him more was that, when he and Mrs. Sanchez first arrived, Penny didn't look as scared. _But as soon as she was freed_...

Rudy gritted his teeth. Just what did that _monster_ do to Penny? What did he do that had frightened Penny so much? And just what did he do? Was it exactly what he said, or did he lie and he did something _worse_?

He wanted to do something, but the pain stopped him. He realized there was little that he could do against Von outside of verbal banter. The nail was still in his stomach, and even now, regardless of how much he tried to ignore it, pain radiated through it, the throbbing being felt through his clothes. Just how much luck was he going to have against this man when his own ability to move was hindered?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the man give a quick chuckle. One that signified not just mere amusement, but haughtiness and arrogance. He glared at the man doing his best to hide his own fears. The man locked eyes with him. He shivered at the sight of the eyes themselves, the pupils having been shrunk. There was a gleeful look in those eyes, something that he never wanted to see from them.

The man straightened himself up the best he could. He gave Rudy a triumphant smile, his teeth bared in the grin. He held his hands behind his back and carried himself as if he had accomplished something amazing. He stared at Rudy as he paced back and forth inf ront of him. Rudy held still and watched him, glaring softly.

"What do you zink of me now, boy?" Dr. Von Doktor said, his teeth flashing, his head tilting slightly up. "Not bad for a _lunatic_, am I right?"

Rudy simply hissed at him, keeping himself positioned in front of the Sanchezes. He turned his head and looked behind him. He noticed that Penny had stopped hugging her mom and was looking at him. He recognized the silent question in her eyes and he answered swiftly by shaking his head. He didn't want her leaving her mother's side. He knew Von hated him the most. He would keep him away from them.

He watched as the man continued to pace in front of him. The man kept giving him a sneer and a scrutinizing look. The fact that he had gotten the upperhand, something that horrified him, was quite clear, written on the man's face for everyone to see.

"You zought you could make me into a fool again. Well you were _wrong_." Von sneered at him, his smile gaining something of an eerie edge to it. "I do have to wonder what you're zinking right now. Do you feel like an idiot? Do you feel like you should have paid more attention?" He paused for a moment, as if he expected him to answer. The ten year old simply narrowed his eyes. "_Well good_! Now you have a tazte of zome of what I felt!"

Rudy gritted his teeth and took a step back. The man's demeanor had changed slightly. His eyes narrowed, although the man didn't seem angry enough to attack him. For now, he just simply looked annoyed and confused, as if he couldn't understand the reasoning behind anything Rudy had done. Of course not.

Then, with a snort, the man threw his head to one side. His lip curled up, partially exposing his canine tooth. "Do you really zink I waz going to let you turn me into a fool again? Did you zink that I didn't have zomething in mind to prevent that? Do you zink I'm ztupid?"

Although he knew it was a bad idea, Rudy gave the man a bitter smirk and said, "Why are you insulting yourself, Von?"

The man spluttered for a second, but soon appeared to calm himself down. "_Funny little boy_."

"What exactly did you do?" Rudy heard Penny say behind him. He looked behind to see her, and then looked back at Von.

Von said, "I merely activated my zecurity zyztem."

Rudy and the Sanchezes looked at one another. They exchanged worried looks with each other. They then turned back to Von, noting that his expression turned back into the gleeful, almost prideful look.

"...security system...?" Rudy found himself breathing out. "And what exactly does that entail?"

"Well I did tell you zat you won't be leaving here. But I zuppose you mean you want a bit more dezcription." At Rudy's nod, the man continued. "Well it iz zimple. I push ziz button here..." He pointed at the metal box with all the switches and such on it. "Az long az ziz iz turned ziz way, exactly like ziz, hidden wallz and barrierz will drop down, zealing off hallwayz and roomz. _All_ exitz are blocked."

Rudy's eyes widened at this. "_What_...?"

"Oh and don't even zink about touching ziz." Von said with a growl. He motioned towards the box. "Do zo, and I will ensure zat you will regret it."

Rudy stared at the metal box again. He looked from it, to Von, and back again repeatedlly. A part of him wanted to rush over and flip the switch, but he knew that wasn't an option. Even if the man wasn't standing there, he couldn't tell which one was the right button or lever. There were so many and they weren't labeled. He couldn't remember which one it was. Taking a _gamble_ wasn't something he could afford. He didn't want to end up doing something insane like gasing everyone to death. He had no choice but to listen to the man's request to step down.

"Zat'z a good lad." Von said with a smile, all pretenses of anger vanishing. Rudy just growled at him. "Firzt, let me get rid of zat nazty ring."

Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez gave a quick sigh of relief when Von's button pushing caused the siren to die down. They all hoped that would be the last loud sound they would have to contend with.

"Now zen...to begin..." Von walked over towards Rudy. "Zince Penny waz uzelezz..." Rudy glared at him.

"_No_! Get away!" Penny cried. Her mother grabbed onto her, preventing her from getting too close.

"_Ztay out of ziz_!" Von snarled at her. Mrs. Sanchez moved closer to her daughter, glaring at the man despite her pain. He chortled at ziz before looking back at Rudy. "Anyway... Penny waz too uncooperative. But you're a zmart little boy, aren't you?" He held up the magic chalk that he had wrenched from Penny's hand earlier. "Maybe you can help me."

"And _why_ would I do _that_?" Rudy growled.

Von tapped the tip of the chalk against his face thoughtfully. "Well...I could juzt...push ziz button right here." Von hovered his finger over one of the buttons. At this, everyone, including the two zoners, looked at him worriedly. "Truzt me, you _don't_ want to know what ziz button would do."

The two zoners gasped loudly. They attempted to move forward, but Von produced a large eraser from his pocket. This caused the zoners to freeze. They took a few steps back, their bodies shivering in fear.

Rudy exchanged a look of horror with Penny and Mrs. Sanchez. The two female humans looked as though they wanted to say something, but they found it difficult to get the words out. After what the man said, he couldn't blame them. He was having a hard time himself. His mind was flooded with different thoughts on what the man was entailing. There were so many possibilities, each one darker and more twisted than the last.

Rudy's heart nearly turned to ice when he looked at the eraser, noting the blood on it. His mind flashed back to what happened to Helga. That image would forever be etched into his head. Even now as he closed his eyes, he could still see it. Her wide open eyes, her open mouth, the look of agony and horror... It served to remind him of just how insane this man had gotten, and he gave a shiver at the thought of the man potentially doing something worse.

Rudy was at a loss. _What should he do_? What would be the right thing to do? He looked over at Mrs. Sanchez and Penny, but they appeared to be at as much of a loss as him. They looked to him, and they eyed each other hopefully, each wondering if the other thought of something. There was a noticeable flash of disappointment in each other's eyes as they realized they were stuck.

The zoners weren't of much help. The sight of the eraser had greatly unnerved them. Rudy could see them backing away even more, their heads shifting around as if to find an exit. The fact that the zoners were thinking of _abandoning_ them did hurt, but Rudy pushed those thoughts aside for the time being, focusing his attention on Von and trying to figure out what he was going to do. Besides, could he blame the zoners for being so terrified after seeing Helga, arguably the bravest among them, get _killed_?

It didn't take him long to come to realize there wasn't much of a choice here. The man stood next to the box, fully prepared to press or pull any lever. The scientist knew this box, but he did not. If he made one wrong move, the man could push a button and, for all he knew, it would kill any zoner that was still in the building, including his friends.

He wondered briefly why the man didn't think of using this system before. He soon realized that the man may have forgotten all about it. It was possible that he was so worked up over the perpetual motion thing and being mocked that he had just pushed that into the back of his thoughts. It made Rudy wonder if the man had something else up his sleeve, if there was any other hidden things that he needed to worry about. He clenched his teeth, feeling a cold shiver. _If that's the case, then_...

Rudy hated the idea of giving into this man. He looked at Mrs. Sanchez and Penny. They looked at him, waiting for him to give a response. He bit his lip and looked away from them, feeling a sense of shame come over him. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, but he had no choice. It was either this, or several people could potentially get hurt, even die. He had to buy them some time.

"All right then, Von..." Rudy said softly. He lowered his head slightly, a way of showing some level of submission towards him. "What do you want me to do?" He glared at him, showing Von he was still not pleased with him.

"Ah, I knew you would do zee right zing." Von commented. He looked quite happy with Rudy's choice, a thought that brought nausea to Rudy's stomach. "I won't azk much of you. I..."

"_No! Rudy! You can't_!" Penny cried out. She struggled against her mother's grasp. Though she never got free, she continued to jerk herself from side to side. "If he figures out how the magic chalk works, he's going to produce his own! _Do you have any idea what that's going to do_?!"

At this, Mrs. Sanchez shot a horrified look at Rudy. "I-Is that bad...?"

Dr. Von Doktor cut off Rudy before he could respond. "Why good heavenz no!" He placed a hand against his chest, smiling. "It will juzt give me the meanz of taking back my reputation." He then held his hand out in gesture. "And of courze, it will alzo allow me to better zpread zee word of ziz world. Going back and forz would be time conzuming. _But_..." He raised a finger up. "If I could make _my own_..."

The man fell silent, smiling at everyone. He was letting them sink this into their heads, letting them get the full impact of what he was implying. The zoners and humans looked at one another, and then back at the scientist. Their eyes were wide in shock and horror and surprise. Well except Penny, who must have known more about the man's plans than they did. Rudy stared at her sympathetically, wondering what she must have felt like when the man tried to get her to help him do this.

He glared back at Von, baring his teeth. Although he realized the situation was still dire, though he knew he didn't have a choice, he felt the strong urge to resist. This was _worse_ than just merely letting him have the magic chalk. _If he could produce his own_...

...then it mattered not if they kick him out of ChalkZone or not. If he learned how to make them, if he figured out whatever secret was behind the magic chalk, then he could just _make a new stick and come back in_. He could make as many as he wanted to, and share it with the world. He might even share the recipe, allowing for more people to create magic chalk.

And they could alter the recipe. They could create new types of magic chalk if they wanted to and tried hard enough. They might be able to create something more dangerous than the red chalk. The thought caused ice to shoot through his veins.

Mrs. Sanchez broke the silence. "You would do something _so_ careless?"

Dr. Von Doktor sneered at her. "Zere'z _nozing_ carelezz about it. I am zimply sharing a dizcovery with zee world. Everyone dezervez a chanze in..."

"You have no idea what you'd be doing!" Penny cried. "What about the zoners? The people who already live there?"

Von scoffed at this. "Zey can learn to _adapt_."

"And the humans? What if someone drew a dangerous weapon and brought it into the Real World?" Rudy asked, raising an eyebrow. "How do you suppose we deal with that?"

Mrs. Sanchez's eyes widened in horror at this. "What?" She looked back at Von and said, "You're willing to let that happen? Do you feel fine with a potential _mass murder_ on your hands?"

A dark chuckle and a snort. "I zink you are all overreacting." Von stared at the piece of magic chalk. "Zeze zingz can be neutralized by water. If anyone getz out of hand..." His smile broadened. "Zey can juzt use water and _problem zolved_!" He lifted up his head and looked over at Rudy. "Zo, wiz zat reassuranze, shall we begin, boy?"

Rudy shook his head. "It's too risky. I can't let you get that information." Von frowned at this. "If I allow you to have that kind of data, and it spread, who knows what kind of damage would result from that... As the protector of that world, I _forbid_ you from other gaining that knowledge."

Von burst out into laughter. "What? _You forbid me_?!" He bent his knees slightly, slapping one thigh with his free hand. "You...you _zeriouzly_ zink you can order me like zat?!' After a few more laughs, the man started to settle himself down. After a few quick intakes of breath, he sneered at Rudy. "Oh how you are going to regret zat..."

Rudy formed a fist with his left hand. "I would regret it more if I agreed to help you.."

Von snorted at this. "Iz zat zo? Well zen..." He took a step forward. His shadow seemed to almost cover Rudy as the man straightened his back more, an attempt to show some dominance over him. "Let me azk you a question..."

Although Rudy could feel the tension rising up, he stood his ground. "Oh yeah? And what is that?"

Von gave a quick laugh. He then suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes at Rudy. "How much _blood_ do you zink you will lose if I were to..._remove zat_...?"

Rudy's face paled at this.

"_What?! Are you crazy_?! Do you have _any idea_ what that will _do_?!" Mrs. Sanchez cried in horror.

"Oh yez, I am quite aware." Von said in a darkened voice. "All zee more reason for zee boy to _lizten to me_." He sneered at the woman, smirking at her horrified and angered expression. He then looked back at Rudy. He took a step forward, holding his hand ou towards the boy. "Zo tell me, Rudy. What do you zink iz zee bezt zolution? Would you really be willing to give up your life for zee zake of zome _chalk drawings_?"

Rudy felt his heart freeze at this. He stared at the man in fear. He felt his body start to shiver. He tried his best to stop, but it was useless. He only shook harder as emotion filled up inside of him. The realization of what this meant struck him hard.

"Great Creator! What are we going to do?!" Called out one of the zoners.

"Rudy!" Penny's voice was filled with terror. "Leave him alone, Von!"

"I'll be glad to... Provided zat he givez me what I want." Replied Von.

"That's not fair! You're threatening an innocent chi..." Mrs. Sanchez was not able to finish her sentence. It was cut off when the man gave a quick, cold and bitter-laced laughter.

"Innozent?! Do you honeztly zink I'm zat ztupid? Are you zat delusional? Ziz boy iz _not_ innozent!" Dr. Von Doctor said. The smile faded away mostly from his face, reflecting the true anger that laid beneath it. He glared from the woman, to Penny, to the zoners, and then back to Rudy. Still addressing the others, he said, "Ziz boy haz been zuch a zorn in my zide. I have every right to defend myzelf."

Penny growled at this. "You aren't defending yourself! You're _threatening a little boy_! It doesn't matter if Rudy ruined your reputation or not!" At this, Von snarled. Rudy shot Penny a look, silently begging her to stop. But the girl went on. "You are still going too far! What do you think will happen when word of this gets out? Do you think that we will keep quiet about it?!"

Von was silenced at this. He stared at Penny, his mouth pressed shut. Rudy glanced at the man, and then back at Penny, his eyes wide in shock. He couldn't believe he didn't think of that before. Why didn't he think of trying this? The man does not want to go to jail; that was evident by how stunned and uncertain he seemed right now. Perhaps there was a chance that they could turn things around after all. Maybe they could convince Von that his quest simply wasn't worth it and get him to back down.

As much as Von hated him, there was no way the man wasn't aware of how much more damage being in jail would cause. It was one thing to be considered a lunatic. People would simply crack jokes at his expense. _But if he ended up convicted... If word got out about what he had done to other human beings_... Well, people certainly would not be joking anymore. They would treat him like a legitimate threat and have him hunted down if he tried to escape justice. And even after, or if, he gets bailed, he would find his freedoms stripped down and he would find it much harder to locate any work or job. As soon as he even tried to pull off another scheme, someone would be there to stop him. He would have nowhere to run.

Realizing that they may have finally reclaimed the upper hand, Rudy smiled at Von. The man frowned back at him, but he made no attempt to speak. He guessed the man must have come to realize how screwed he was, how he had been boxed into a corner. Even the zoners smirked, obviously feeling confident that things were going their way again.

"We would like to make a deal with you, Dr. Von Doktor." Rudy said coolly. He turned to smile at Mrs. Sanchez and Penny. They smiled back at him and nodded their heads, gesturing for him to continue. Rudy turned his head so he could look at Von again. "You can give up your ridiculous quest. You can go back to the way things were before. You can go back to trying to figure out perpetual motion. You can let all of us go, including my zoner friends, and give back the magic chalk and _never_ try to set foot inside ChalkZone."

The man narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Rudy raised his hand up. He was not yet done with him.

"And we promise not to leak a word of this the authorities. No one will ever have to know about your involvement in what happened to us." Rudy glanced down at his own wound, flinching slightly. He looked back at Mrs. Sanchez, looking at the chemical burns on her body. He narrowed his eyes and looked back at Dr. Von Doktor. "_But if you attempt to break our little deal_..." He turned himself more so he could fully face the man. He puffed his chest up slightly to make himself look bigger. "We will make sure that everyone knows what you did. Even if you stop me and my group here..." The boy make an effort to swing his arm towards Mrs. Sanchez, Penny, and the zoners. "There's _still_ someone out there who will be able to tell the authorities what you did." He smirked as he continued, "You're not exactly above the law, now are you? I know you must be quite smart and intelligent, but even you are no match against the _authorities_ if word of this gets out."

Dr. Von Doktor growled at this. His teeth were bared and he took a step back. Rudy just smiled at them, giving him a look that told him how screwed he was. The man was going to have no choice except surrender. There was literally nothing else that could save him now.

He might think that he had them all trapped, but there was one person he had not taken account for. _And that was his aunt_. As frustrated as he was with Aunt Tilly, her cautiousness about ChalkZone would come in handy if she realizes he was gone for a while. Although odds were against him that she'd trace him back here, it was still something. A trump card the man hadn't seem to consider.

For several moments, there was nothing but silence. He heard some chuckles from the zoners, who had resumed their defensive postures. The injured one was doing his best to ignore the pain, staring at the man with gritted teeth. He looked ready to pay the man back for what he had done. Mrs. Sanchez and Penny had gotten a little closer, their narrowed eyes focused directly on the man. Rudy had no doubt in his mind that they would take action should the man charge forward and try something.

After what felt like several more minutes of silence, of Von glaring angrily at him, his fist tightened against his body, Rudy folded his arms against his chest, giving him a mischievous smile. "So Dr. Von..." He tilted his head to one side. "_What shall it be_?"

Rudy watched as the scientist's eyes narrowed further. He watched as his teeth clenched and he noticed his face turning red. Rudy felt his heart skip a beat this. He knew full well how _dangerous_ Von could be if angered enough, especially since he had the most reason to go after him. Still, he did not move, not willing to show submission towards this madman. He would not allow him to get any kind of edge over him. Now it was his turn to make the tough decision. It was him who had been pushed into submission. No amount of anger will change that.

But as the seconds passed, as the man's body shook harder, his eyes narrowing further, Rudy couldn't stop the tension and fear from rising up inside of him. The man looked enraged, like he was about ready to attack. Rudy found himself taking a step back, but still holding his ground. He kept his arrogant smile on his face, doing his best to hide his fear and nervousness.

Suddenly, the man's body relaxed. All signs of anger just _washed away_ in a few seconds. An eerie smile plastered over his face. The sudden change was so creepy, that it caused everyone to take a step back, their looks of determination replaced with confusion and uncertainty. Then the man chuckled, and they all looked at one another, wondering if the man had completely lost it.

The man laughed for several seconds, his hand against his chest. Rudy noticed what appeared to be a tear in the man's eyes. But not one of pain or sadness or fear. But one of extreme happiness or amusement. Rudy couldn't help but frown at the man in confusion. Just what was he finding so hilarious? _What brought this on_?

After the man was finished laughing, he looked back at the others. The eerie smile that was etched onto his face caused shivers to go up and down their spines. Even more unnerving was the fact that the man was _still angry_. There were still hints of anger underneath that smile. If the glow in his eyes didn't give it away, then his slight shivering did. The man was barely holding himself back. This was barely a few percentages of the anger he was feeling. Rudy bit his lip. A part of him wanted to say something, but the other was too scared to do so.

The others weren't doing so well either. The confidence had rapidly faded from the zoners. They were back to being terrified, and he watched as their bodies hunched, preparing to defend themselves in case the man rushed towards them. Mrs. Sanchez put her arms around her daughter protectively. She glared at the man, giving him a silent warning to stay away. Penny looked at Rudy worriedly. The look in her eyes told Rudy to get away, but the boy's feet would not obey his commands.

Then, after a _long, tense_ silence, the man began to speak.

sss

"Zat'z funny. Zat is _really funny_. You really had me going zere. You almost had me believing zat you zought you had zee upper hand. You zought you could box me into a corner, zat you figured out _all_ zee loopholes and you left _nozing_ out. I'm sure you are all juzt zelebrating inzide zoze headz of yourz, commenting about how ztupid I am and how I would never figure away out of your _little deal_."

Dr. Von Doktor sneered at the humans and zoners that had confronted him in this room. He couldn't wipe the smile on his face. It just kept ticking wider and wider, amusement overpowering, making it hard not to laugh.

It was amusing how Rudy thought he had figured it all out, that he knew exactly how to stop Von and prevent him from going forth with his plans. He had to give the boy some credit. He and his little pals did think quite thoroughly with this. It was true that the authorities would be _quite_ a _hindrance_. The boy was smart to think of using that as a threat. However, the boy didn't take into account just how smart he himself was, and how clever he could be. Soon he was going to regret not being careful.

The man felt anger boiling in his blood. He could still feel its chilling effects on his mind, causing several shivers to go up and down his spine repeatedly. There was seemingly no end in sight. But despite that, despite the urge to rush towards the boy and give him what he deserved, the man kept himself still, resisting the temptation to attack. That would get him nowhere. However, quite often, words were _more powerful_ than action. The boy was going to learn this the _hard way_.

He smiled at them, looking at their confused and shocked expressions. He paced back and forth in front of them, eyeing them up and down. He looked for any sign of resistance, anything that would tell him one of them began to speak. But it was nothing but dead silence. His smile broadened at this. Good. Seemed he was getting somewhere now.

"I zink you should all _reconzider_ your...idea. I have zomezing even _better_." Dr. Von Doktor said. He placed a hand against himself. "And truzt me. You will _love_ ziz." He narrowed his eyes slightly, his mouth remaining ticked into a smile. "How about I give you a deal of my own? You tell me what I want to know. You help me find out how zee magic chalk workz. You help me create zome to begin the mazz production. Izn't zat a _much better_ deal?"

Rudy gritted his teeth. "Why should we do that? What kind of hold could you possibly have over us?"

"Well..none on her." Von wasn't sure what the vet's stance on this was, or how far she was willing to go. But Rudy and Penny, they were different stories. And the zoners too, especially. "But you two..." He pointed at Rudy and Penny. The two children exchanged glances with each other before glaring back at them. "Zay...how much do you care about _zem_?" He pointed at the two zoners. "_And zee ozerz_?"

This got the desired result. He watched their faces drained of some color, their eyes darting around at each other and then back at him. He watched as fear began to watch over their faces, causing him to smirk broader. He didn't have to say it for him to know they realized the balance of power had shifted again, this time, back to where it belonged.

"_What...what are you going to do_...?" Penny asked, her voice edged with fear.

Dr. Von Doktor just smiled at this. "Oh, nozing much. I could just, I don't know, flood the hallways wiz water."

At this, there was an instant clamor. The zoners both let out a scream of terror. They immediately ran off, trying to find an exit out of the room. Mrs. Sanchez looked a little shocked, but just as he had predicted, she was the least worried of them. _But Rudy and Penny_... Their reaction was the most satisfactory. The screaming zoners were one thing, but it was obvious they were just trying to save their own skins. Rudy and Penny, however, cared about that world on a deep level, and they seemed to have a number of these zoners friends. _His threat_...it hit them on a deeper level than even the zoners themselves.

Rudy and Penny immediately began to plead with him not to do it. They begged with him to reconsider, saying how horrible of an idea that it was and asked him if he knew what he was doing. He just sneered at them, listening to them banter at him, begging him to not go through with that idea. Ah, this was music to his ears. In his triumphant glee, the man was completely unaware of just how _insane_ he had gotten.

"It wouldn't take too much. If I were just...pull ziz zing here..." Dr. Von Doktor went towards the wall, towards the fire alarm that hung there. He motioned his hand towards it, putting it dangerously close to to the lever. "Zee alarm will activate, and the zprinkler zyztem will go on." He looked at Rudy and Penny's horrified eyes when he said this. "I know zat you two will be unharmed. But I have to wonder about your friendz." He sneered at the two frightened zoners. "Juzt how lucky will zey be?" He looked back at Rudy and Penny. "Do you want to find out?"

"No!" Rudy and Penny cried out in unison. They took a few steps towards the man, reaching out towards him as if they hoped to grab him and stop him.

"_No_? You don't want zat?" Dr. Von Doktor said, feigning sadness. "Izn't zat a shame?" He raised an eyebrow when he looked at Penny. "I zought at leazt you would be interezted."

Penny shook her head, gritting her teeth nervously. "_Please, Von! You can't do that_!"

Rudy said, "Please.. don't do it. You have _no idea_ what you're doing. _Please_.."

Dr. Von Doktor raised an eyebrow. "I promize you. I am well aware of what I'm doing." He tilted his head to one side. "Zee true queztion is do you know what you'll be doing? I will give you all a choize and I do hope zat you will take zee time and zink over it well."

The man went silent for a few moments. He wanted to relish in this victory. He wanted to prolong this. Rudy and his friends really did think they had the upper hand, and now he was going to tear all of that down. He was going to make sure that they never got a chance to get away with their threat. He would leave them boxed into a corner, letting them feel just how _helpless_ they really were.

_No one_ was going to outsmart him _this time_. No one was going to keep him from obtaining what he truly deserved. No one was going to be able to stop him from obtaining the information he so desired, from spreading the word that everyone had the right to know. The two brats might have gotten away with being stupid and selfish for a while, but all that was about to end. And he was going to start it off by rendering their threat completely useless.

"If _any of you_ call zee polize on me, if you even _zink about it_, zen I will pull ziz lever here." Von placed his hand on the lever, his fingers wrapping around it tightly. When he spoke again, his voice darkened a little, showing them just how much intent he had with what he was about to do. "I do hope that your zoner friendz can _zwim_."

Everyone in the room froze in horror, staring at him wide-eyed. Their faces paled, even Mrs. Sanchez's, as the full meaning of the man's threat impacted them. Von merely sneered at them, waiting for the answer he knew they were going to give. As he waited, he couldn't help but feel a warm sensation of pride in his chest, making himself straighten his body out, showing just how dominant and in control of the situation he was.

Oh yes, he was certain he had the upper hand this time. Nothing was going to stop him. There was no way that they were going to be able to worm their way out of this one. And when he saw the children bow their heads slightly, he grinned, knowing that he had won.

"Please, Von..why do you have to do this?" Mrs. Sanchez spoke up after being silent for a while. "Can't you see how much you're upsetting them? Why do you have to be this way? Can't we..."

Dr. Von Doktor shook his head. "I had given zem _plenty_ of chanze. Zey were the ones who dezided to ignore my attemptz at being negotiatable. I am giving zem one more offer, but if zey refuse..." He turned to glare at Rudy and Penny. "_All betz are off_."

Rudy bit his lip nervously, looking at his friend. They appeared to be trying to find answers with each other, but neither of them appeared to have any ideas. They glanced at the zoners, who were pressed against the wall, as far away as they could go, watching fearfully. They looked back at Von, their eyes wide and pleading. Von merely smirked at them, folding his arms and staring at them expectantly.

When Rudy opened his mouth to speak, Von leaned in, eagerly awaiting to hear Rudy's terms of surrender. He wondered just what pitiful words the boy would speak, any final begs and pleads he might have. He was going to enjoy this.

"Von, I..."

_Here it comes_.

"_You have to understand_. We..."

Suddenly, before the boy could get another word in edgewise, there was a series of _clangs and screams and thuds_. It was coming from right above them. They tilted their heads back and looked up towards the ceiling. They moved their heads as the noise seemed to dart from one side to the other, as if something was being tossed around over and over again, as if in a sling shot. Then there was a louder clang, the sound of something snapping and breaking, and then a loud scream filled the room.

Von had no time to react when something heavy hit against him. He was pushed into the ground with full force. His chin slammed against the floor, and he yelped when he bit into his own tongue. There was a small choir of moans and groans before he fell limp for a few seconds, just laying there as his stunned body came to the full realization of what just happened to him.

After a few seconds and riding out the initial pain, the man lifted up his head and looked up at what had impacted him. His eyes widened, just as shocked as everyone else was.

_It was Snap and his friends_.


	35. Repossessions

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 35: Repossessions

_**Collecting your losses works both ways.**_

sss

It took Snap a while to regain his bearings. Falling down from such a height was not what he was expecting to happen. The impact of the fall had knocked some of the wind out of him, and even if it didn't, the pain from the collision was enough to stun him for several moments. As he laid there, he recalled just what had led up to this incident.

He had located one of the zoners in the hallway. Apparently there was an incident with the sirens that caused them all to flee. Well almost all of them. Snap didn't want to label them all as cowards for letting something like that get to them, and he realized it wasn't just the sirens; it was Dr. Von Doktor himself. His act of killing Helga must have had them all spooked already and the siren was just the icing on the cake. The thing that pushed them over the edge.

He and the zoner wandered the hallways, and eventually they ran into the others. The set of circumstances were strange. First of all, another alarm activated, which caused them to become trapped in a strip of the hallway itself. The zoner he was with panicked, and he had tried to calm him down. It was a good thing he did not, though, as, in his panic, the zoner managed to tear down a part of the wall which covered up the doors. Snap had to give Von credit for thinking of something like that. A cheap way of detaining his '_guests_'. He wondered why the man didn't use this system before, but it was entirely possible he had simply forgotten about it.

He and the zoner had used the ventilation system to try to get to another part of the building. It was this way that he found Rapsheeba, Howdy, and, though more exploration, the others. There were _still_ several zoners _missing_, however, and Snap decided it was best to regroup. He didn't want there to be a chance that Von could get another one of them. But he also agreed that getting Blocky to safety was a good idea, so they repeated Howdy's apparent plan and split up again, only different this time.

Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky, carried by the large zoner from before, were to go off on their own again. The others, instead of splitting off into smaller groups, they'd stay as one and focus on gathering the lost zoners. Then they would so something that he wished they had tried before.

Go to the monitor room and look at the cameras. There is a chance that the room with the chalkboard would be on there. They could identify the room, look at a map if they could find one, and go there.

However, the plan didn't go quite so smoothly. During exploration in the vents, they hit a snag. One ventilation shaft was quite weak. It broke under the pressure from all the weight. Snap hadn't taken that into account and down they fell. He could still feel the thumps and bumps against his body as he had hit hard surface after hard surface.

Now here he laid, in a large pile on the ground with the other zoners. He could hear their groaning all arond him. He coughed a couple of times and pushed himself up on his hands. He shook his head and lifted it up. He looked around to see where they were.

Another room, not the one with the portal unfortunately. He did see some open box on the wall with several buttons and levers, as well as a fire alarm. The sight of it made him shudder, knowing full well what it could do.

And then, seconds later, he realized he wasn't alone. _There were a few extra bodies in here_.

Rudy and Penny were standing not far. They were staring at him in shock. Snap's eyes widened when he saw the nail in Rudy's stomach, partially protruding _out_. Although he was standing mostly fine, a few twitches of his eye and a few wobbling indicated that Rudy was in a lot more pain than he was letting on. Penny, thankfully, didn't seem to be as hurt. But the sight of her bandages, much like what Rudy had, did make him flinch.

There were two other zoners in here. He didn't recognize who they were. He guessed they were a couple that had run off from the alarm and they must have run into Rudy and Penny somehow. Sheer luck perhaps? Quite possible.

Mrs. Sanchez was also present. Snap was shocked to see her in her current state. There were several burns on her body. That's what got most of his attention. The burns didn't look like they were caused by fire. Something about them was different. What could have happened to her to make her look like _that_? And just _how far_ did the damage extend? What was she even doing here in the first place? When did she arrive and how long was she here?

But all that was pushed into the back of his mind when he turned his head around towards distinct groaning and he saw just how they had landed on.

_It was Dr. Von Doktor_.

Snap, feeling his chest sting with anxiety, immediately got up to his feet. He took several steps back, along with the other zoners that had gotten up, and stared in shock. Of all the places for them to land, it just had to be right here. Right in the fire zone.

Snap's body shivered in fright. He was not expecting to land near Von like this. He was not prepared. He didn't even know what kind of room they were in. _How could they even begin to prepare now_? He didn't know what those buttons did. _What if they_...? He managed to climb up to his feet, his legs wobbly and shaky. He stared at the man, taking a defensive stance as he tried to do what he could to at least partially prepare for whatever lashing the man was going to give them.

Dr. Von Doktor had gotten back up to his feet. He brushed himself off and he stared out at the large pile of zoners that had appeared in the room. His eyes were wide and his mouth dropped open. For the time being, all he did was look left and right, as if taking in the sight all around him. Snap remained tense, knowing that, at any second, the man could take action.

The zoners around him took a few steps back, staring cautiously at the man, looking at each other uncertainly. Snap could hear them murmur with each other. Some were wondering what they were going to do. Others wondered what Von was going to do to them. Some expressed concern of more people getting injured. He overheard Rapsheeba and Howdy wonder what was going to happen to Blocky. The humans remained utterly silent save for the single whispered '_Snap_?' from his two friends.

He looked back at them. They exchanged expressions that each held a similar, worried message. Snap wanted to rush over towards them, get an update, give them an update, and discuss what they should do. But with Dr. Von Doktor now standing, now glaring as the full realization of what just happened dawned on him, that wasn't an option anymore. Reluctantly, Snap turned his gaze back to Von and stared at him, waiting for him to say something.

Von narrowed his eyes dangerously, striking fear into the hearts of the zoners. Most of them backed off, while a couple, including Snap himself, frowned and tried to be as brave as they could in the face of the unpredictable scientist. "I waz not expecting any kind of _company_. I have to wonder how you zonerz managed to find your way _here_."

No one responded to that. The zoners either frowned or moved away, and the humans didn't try to say anything. Everyone was well aware that a single wrong move was all that it would take to shift things in..well in an even less pleasant way.

Von didn't take too kindly to the silence. He let out a soft growl, his eyes flickering with something. Snap tensed his body up, wondering just how far the man was willing to go. The look in his eyes strongly suggested a _rapidly deteriorating mind_. He wondered just how far gone the man was now, and how desperate he currently was. What was he and his friends and the others supposed to expect from _him_ now?

"I muzt zay..." The man smiled eerily. But it was a mostly bitter smile, barly hiding the scowl. "You really had me going, Rudy." Snap looked at him in confusion. _Rudy? What was he talking about_? "Had me zinking you were _helplezz_..." The man turned his attention towards the boy. At his glare, Rudy took a step back, returning the glare. There was a slight wobble as he flinched, most likely due to the pain. "Perhapz you were more _clever_ zan I had given credit for."

"I..don't know what you're...talking about." Rudy hissed. Neither did Snap, or anyone else for that matter.

Von cocked up an eyebrow. "Oh don't be zo modezt, boy! Don't try to hide your..._geniuz_ from me!" Despite his anger, the man managed a somewhat lighthearted chuckle. His hand was placed against his chest. "I know talent when I zee it! And you, Rudy.." He waved his hand towards Rudy, gesturing to him, giving a soft chuckle. "Ziz plan of yourz really iz _quite zpecial_!"

Snap exchanged looks with the other zoners. He looked at his zoner pals, and then at his human friends as well as Mrs. Sanchez. Everyone gave similar looks of confusion and unertainty. None of them appeared to be able to make sense with what the man was talking about. _Where_ was he getting the idea that this was all Rudy's plan?

"Tricking me into ztaying here. Fooling me into zinking you were zo worried, all the while knowing that your friendz here would come find you. Really, I muzt congratulate you! Really imprezzive, Rudy! I can zee why Terry Bouffant had trouble wiz you."

Rudy glanced nervously at Penny before looking back at Von and saying, "You misunderstand. I had _nothing_ to do with..."

Von raised an eyebrow. "I don't zee why you are trying to deny what you have done, Rudy. But no matter." His smile had disappeared swiftly, his eyes darkening as his anger started to become more apparent on the surface. "I cannot allow your little plan to come into full fruition. Zo az much az I am imprezzed by ziz, I really need to..._pull zee plug_."

Without warning, the man rushed over towards the fire alarm. Snap felt his heart skip a bit when he saw this. Immediately, he whipped himself around and faced the other zoners.

"_Everybody! Run_!"

As soon as he said that, as soon as the zoners all let out a horrified cry and started to move away, he heard the clang of something hard hitting againt something of equal toughness. There was an immediate ringing sound going off all around them. The sprinkler system above them all turned on, showering Real World water down upon them.

It was immediate chaos after that. The zoners all started to scramble to get away. Screams and shouts filled the other, some in fear, others trying to help someone else get to safety. Rudy and Penny's cries were intermixed, shouting in horror, calling out friends' names. Mrs. Sanchez was mostly silent, but she looked on in horror as the water began to pummel the zoners.

Snap winced in pain as he felt some of the water droplets hit him. Thankfully he moved fast enough to avoid too much damage, but the water droplets that did land on him still burned. He found it hard not to scream when some more sensitve areas were hit. He kept his hands over his head, trying his best to protect that vital area. He managed to move towards one of the corners in the room where the water did not hit. He looked around, his heart racing faster as he saw the chaos play out before him.

Some of the zoners, such as Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky, carried by another zoner, had gotten to safety. They were pressed back against the wall, going as far as entering 2D mode just to avoid as much of the Real World water as possible. For obvious reasons, Rudy, Penny, Mrs. Sanchez, and Von didn't move. Snap could see them all getting drenched as the water dribbled down their faces and hair and clothes. The sight of it, despite the fact that humans don't get hurt with Real World water, was unsettling. He couldn't help but imagine what would occur if that happened to a zoner.

_Unfortunately, that's exactly what he was treated with only moments later_...

The screams that filled the air were _unsettling_. He felt chills going up and down his spine. He covered his ears, trying to block it out. But it was impossible. No matter how hard he pressed his hands against his ears, he was still forced to listen to the horrific cries and screams. He made the mistake of opening one of his eyes and they shot open, unable to close and hide him from the gruesome sight all around him.

The zoners that didn't make it to safety in time were being bombarded by the constant, _unrelenting_ rain. Steam rose from the deepening, various wounds that were forming. Blood dripped down, much of it being washed away by the Real World water but was no less gruesome or disturbing.

Many of the zoners collapsed onto the ground as their bodies were being destroyed. Arms were _melted off_, some dropping to the ground. Blood splattered from the severed limbs. _Heads were being dissolved_, the _brains_ exposed for a few seconds before they, too, were melted. Some zoners' feet as the water reached a certain thickness on parts of the ground were dissolved causing the zoners to fall down to the ground. Some faces hit against the water and when they were lifted up, Snap struggled not to vomit at the sight of _exposed muscle_ and _eyes nearly spilling out of their sockets_.

And the screams just continued. Snap found it hard to hold back his tears as he watched his fellow zoners perish like this. While a few did finally make it to safety, most of them were too heavily damaged to survive long. He watched their bodies crumple to the ground, bleeding out from the various bloody burned holes in their bodies, some uncomfortably large, or from one or more severed limb injuries.

Soon the screaming did finally die off, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence. Except for the heavy panting and the crying and whimpering, it was dead silent. Snap, who had eventually shut his eyes due to the horrific scene before him, forced himself to open up his eyes slightly and looked around, surveying the damage.

Snap gasped in horror at the horrific sight that laid before him. There was a massive pool of blood everywhere, although it had taken on a pink shade as the water drained and diluted it. In fact, that was all that was there in the center where the water hit the hardest. But that's what made it very gruesome, bone chilling to look at. Snap, and everyone else knew, that just a few moments ago, there were several zoners standing there. And now, they had been completely washed away, _erased from existence_. That alone, was _far more horrific_ than almost anything else they could think of.

_And that wasn't even getting into the survivors_...

Some of them were relatively unharmed, if not just a little worse than him or his friends. But many of them had large, bloody holes in their bodies and had a lot of blood coming out of them. Some were worse than others, missing limbs or parts of their heads or backs. Some were laying on the ground, screaming in agony, _begging for death_. Some of them got their wish, perishing not long after they crawled out from where the water kept sprinkling down.

Snap found it difficult to look away. He couldn't even attempt to block out the sound. It was etched into his mind, and he felt his body start to shake. He couldn't believe that this just happened. Von, he had just committed _mass murder_...

He glanced over at his friends. He watched as Raspheeba and Howdy looked on in horror, their eyes bulging, pupils shrinking. Rudy and Penny were no better. Their bodies quaked as emotion rushed through them. He could see tears in Penny's eyes, and he was certain this was true for many people here. Mrs. Sanchez stared with an open mouth, putting her hands to it as she looked on with wide eyes.

Snap then turned to stare at Dr. Von Doktor. The man just stared at the scene before him. His expression was relaxed, as if nothing was going on. No smile, no frown. Just an expressionless look as he watched carelessly as a few more zoners died from their wounds. It was almost like, to the man, it was just another day for him.

The tranquility of the man's expression, his misplaced calmness in the face of what he had caused, the fact that he was brushing this off as nothing, it was enough to make Snap start to feel the sting in his stomach grow stronger. He gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes as thoughts raced through his head. How could he do something like this? How could he willingly turn on the sprinkler system when he might have known what it would have done? How could he just write this off as if it as no big deal?

"_Y-You...you just_..." Came Howdy's shaky voice.

"You just _killed them_..." Rapsheeba finished the zoner's train of thought. "Just like that... You killed them. How..how could you do something that _cruel_..?"

Von merely shrugged his shoulders. "It waz quite eazy. Why should I care about a bunch of ztupid drawingz?" He motioned with his hand. "Bezides, it waz zeir own dang fault for getting in zee way. Zey should have ran when zey had zee chanze."

"_You_!" Rudy whipped his head towards Von, his lips curled back into a snarl. "You _murderer_! I'll..." Suddenly Rudy let out a loud whimper of pain as he clutched his stomach.

Penny took notice of this and immediately rushed over. "Rudy...?" She grabbed onto Rudy's arm and did her best to support him. "Rudy, are you okay?"

Snap turned his head and looked out at Rudy. He widened his eyes when he saw that there was some blood leaking out of the wound. "_Bucko_...?" He whispered softly.

Mrs. Sanchez moved closer, looking down at the boy with concern. "I told you we should have looked at that wound earlier, Rudy. Please, let me..."

Rudy raised up his hand. "N-No... I'm fine. Really, I..." The boy coughed painfully a few times. His body gave a couple of shudders, his teeth gritting, seething in pain. "I'm..._fine_..."

"No, you're _not_ fine." Mrs. Sanchez said, narrowing her eyes. "We need to get you help. We need to leave now and get you to a hospital."

"But...but what about..." Rudy asked, staring up at her.

"We can't leave our friends!" Penny cried.

"But you two are in trouble here! Do you really think I'm going to let that madman hurt you two?" Mrs. Sanchez asked. Von raised an eyebrow at this. "They will be fine I'm sure! You can just redraw them, but you can't redraw yourselves. Let's just get out of here before..."

"_No_! You don't understand! They..." Penny started to say.

As Rudy and Penny tried to reason with Mrs. Sanchez, Snap remained frozen in shock at the woman's words. What was most chilling is that this is how most humans would see zoners. They wouldn't begin to understand just how precious even a zoner life was, how they were still individuals. If one zoner died, they cannot be revived even with a redrawing. That redrawing would be their own person, their own individual.

And for Penny's _own mother_ to believe that... _That was just_...

"Perhapz you should lizten to zee lady, Rudy..."

Snap's thoughts were interrupted when the man spoke up. Everyone turned their eyes to the scientist as his mouth ticked into a twisted smile. Many shuddered at the flash of insanity in his eyes. Snap watched cautiously, wondering just what the man was going to do now.

"Do you zink I'm going to give up ziz gold mine zo eazily, you bratz? _Perpetual motion iz a zing of zee pazt! If I waz going to be rich wiz zat, I'm going to be loaded wiz ziz! Perpetual motion'z got nozing on a world where drawingz come to life_!" Von said as he put his hands on his hips. He straightened himself out as if to make himself look taller. "_Zo you can just forget it_! Bezides..." Von rested his eyes on Rudy. He gave him a look that made most everyone uncomfortable. "I zink you should worry about _yourzelf_."

Rudy gritted his teeth at this. "We aren't backing down! We aren't going to turn our backs on our friends!" He motioned to the zoners, including Snap, Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky. "They don't deserve the type of treatment you've been giving them! They're my friends and I would _never_ betray them!"

"That's right!" Penny took a step forward, keeping her hands gripping onto Rudy to support him. "We have no intention on just letting you endanger our friends like this! We're not going to let you murder more zoners in cold blood!"

Von shook his head slowly. "It'z only murder if it'z done to humanz. _Zem_...?" Von looked over his shoulder and stared at the zoners. A single, bitter yet amused chuckle. "Zey are juzt _wild animalz_." Snap gritted his teeth. "Zo zerefore, it iz _not_ murder."

"_We're not animals_!" Cried one of the surviving zoners, despite her fear.

"How dare you say such nonsense!" Shouted another zoner.

A third one, despite his wounds, formed fists with his hands, looking as if he was ready for a fight. "I'd like to see you come here and say that to my face!"

Snap stared at the zoners worriedly. He couldn't believe how foolish they were being right now. Did they not know what might happen if Von decided to put his full attention on them? He turned his attention back to the man. He was sneering at the zoners, although thankfully he didn't try to go near them. To insure that he didn't, Snap decided to draw the guy's attention to him.

"_Zuch foolish little animalz_. I would expect you to behave like ziz." Von said as he smirked at the zoners. When some of them growled, he responded with, "Oh and zuch _temperz_. I zink you should calm yourselvez down a little bit. All I did waz point out zomezing zat you all should have known anyway."

There was a clamor amongst the group. Snap could hardly tell who said what. He was aware there was an argument, a bunch of zoners telling Von how wrong he was, but much of what was said was mixed together in a sea of voices. The influxion and intent hinted by the voices themselves was the main thing he had to go on to understand what was happening.

He found himself drawn in, as did his friends. They glared angrily at the man, infuriated that he would dismiss zoners in such a fashion. It was clear that, despite having Blocky around to '_study_', he didn't learn much about zoners. The fact that he referred to them as '_animals_' was proof of that. Or perhaps the man did know and he was still purposely pushing it aside, as if the whole thing really didn't matter all. The thought sickened Snap, making his stomach churn.

This lasted for several moments. The volume just kept getting louder as confusion spread further, frustrations coming to the surface. Snap kept shouting as loud as he could, trying to have his voice heard as he called the man out for his cruelty and how he had no right to demean zoners that way. He became lost in the mess, and for a while, he was unaware of exactly where he was. Even Mrs. Sanchez got in on it, although he was unable to tell if she partially agreed with Von or not.

Suddenly, a shout from Rudy silenced everyone.

"_You're wrong, Dr. Von Doktor! Zoners aren't animals! And you are an idiot of you think otherwise_!"

It wasn't so much the words, but the shere volume of Rudy's voice that caused the zoners and humans to freeze. The boy was like a living boombox, somehow able to raise his voice above everyone else's. They all stared at him in shock as the boy panted a few times, obviously having used up quite a bit of energy to speak that loudly.

Dr. Von Doktor stared at Rudy. "_An idiot_, you zay?" The man slowly turned himself around. He stared off at the boy, folding his arms. "Tell me more about ziz, _boy_."

Rudy didn't hesitate. "You...you think that you are _so special_, don't you? You think that just because you have a fancy lab coat and a fancy laboratory that you can determine what is real and what isn't? What is just a 'beast' and what is sentient? If you had _half a brain_, Von, you'd know that these zoners are just as sentient as you and me! They aren't just mere creatures for you to _exploit_ and make a profit off of! They deserve much more than that! It is really quite depressing that you are unable to understand that. I would have thought that someone of your callabor would figure this out much faster. _I guess I was wrong on that_!"

Snap and the others stared in silence. Rudy had never sounded this angry before. His voice was practically overflowing with emotion. Could they blame him? No. The boy's anger was but a mere reflection to how they all were feeling. Snap was fully aware of just how scary Rudy can get if angered enough, and it would seem that Von had managed to succeed in that.

But it would seem that Rudy wasn't the only one of the two who was getting significantly angerier. Everyone but Rudy noticed Von's trembling and his eyes beginning to blaze in anger. His heart pounding, Snap turned to Rudy.

"_Bucko_!" Snap cried. "_Be careful! He_..."

But Rudy did not listen. He continued to rant off at the old man, his anger getting the better of him, the agony he was in clouding his judgment. "You deserve to have your reputation taken from you! You deserve all the mocking you have gotten! It was your own damn fault that it happened to you! If you had just listened to me and realized that I 'discovered' perpetual motion by mistake and just let me and my creation go, this _wouldn't_ have happened! You should have listened! You should have paid more attention! But I guess that's too much ask for, _isn't it_?!"

"Rudy.." Penny whispered in a warning tone.

Mrs. Sanchez stared at the boy, gritting her teeth. "_Knock it off_..."

Still, Rudy did not listen.

"You threatened my friends! You hurt them, even killed some of them! And all for what? Just to gain back your reptuation that you so rightfully lost? When people find out what you did to me, to Penny, to Terry, and I know you're responsible to what happened to Mrs. Sanchez, do you think that they would just let that slide? _Face it, Von_, you are painting yourself up for failure! Once someone finds out about this, they will not let you off the hook and you will lose more than just your reputation this time!"

For a few moments, the room was silent. Snap, the zoners, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez stared at Rudy in shock. None of them had expected him to get that angry at Von, to _snap_ like that. A few of them wanted to speak up, but no words would come from their mouths. All they could do was stare in shock, unable to speak or even move.

Von glared at Rudy, gritting his teeth. His hands had formed into fists and he looked like he wanted to slap the boy across his face. Thankfully, he remained still, just glaring at him with bared teeth.

Rudy glared back, letting out a small, short growl from his throat. He did not back down, no matter how angry the man seemed to look. He did not avert his gaze, making it very clear that he would not back down from his stance. The boy appeared unaware of the others staring at him in worry and confusion. All he could see right now was Von, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"How does it feel to be outsmarted by a _ten year old boy_?" Rudy taunted.

Upon seeing the glow from Von's eyes, Snap took a sharp intake of breath. No...Rudy did not just... _What was he thinking_...?

Suddenly, without warning, the man, seemingly having snapped even more than he already had, rushed forward towards Rudy. His feet pounded the ground as he moved too fast for the boy, or for anyone for that matter, to react. Within seconds, he reached Rudy, immediately colliding with him. He smashed Rudy against the nearby wall. The boy let out a grunt as air was forced out of his mouth. Immediately, Rudy began to squirm.

"_Rudy_!" Snap cried out.

"_Get away from him_!" Penny shouted as joined her mother and Snap in rushing towards the man to stop him. But they did not get that far.

Rudy's thrashing froze for a split second, the boy's eyes bulging wide, as the man pushed his hand against his wound. Rudy let out a sharp gasp, and then screamed as the man gripped onto the end of the object inside of him. Once he got a firm grip on it, despite only being able to grab it with his fingers, the man started to pull on it.

Rudy tossed his head back and screamed before his struggles increased. He struck against the man with his hands, desperately trying to push him back. The zoners watched in horror. None made a move, too shaken up by what had happened to their comrades to lift a finger against the man. But Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were able to gather up courage and they rushed towards the man. Penny and Mrs. Sanchez followed suit. They shouted at the man to stop, pleading with him to let the boy go.

But their calls fell on deaf ears. Rudy's screaming increased as the man began to pull the item, which Snap realized, to his horror, was a long, sharp nail, through his stomach. Rudy thrashed harder, tears of pain streaming down his face. Snap and the others moved faster, trying to get there in time. Everything seemed to happen so slowly, the seconds dragging out like minutes.

Then, without warning, before Snap and the others could stop him, Von _yanked the nail out completely_, creating a bloody hole in Rudy's stomach.

At this, everyone froze, staring in shock at what had just happened. They couldn't take their eyes off of Rudy. Everyone was horrified by what had just occurred. There were whispers amongst the zoners if this was really happening or not. Snap glanced over at Penny and his zoner friends, each exchanging a horrified look, and then they glanced back at Rudy.

The boy was holding onto his stomach. Blood was seeping rapidly from it, staining the ground. The boy's mouth was open as he panted heavily, clearly trying to cope with the pain. Any attempt to hide his agony worked no longer; the boy's face was constantly contorted in pain, his body refusing to stop shivering. He fell onto his knees, holding himself up with one hand while the other was placed firmly over his wound. He looked over at Dr. Von Doktor with wide eyes, shining with the question of 'why'?

Dr. Von Doktor smiled down at Rudy as he held up the long, now bloodied nail that had rested inside of him. Rudy's eyes widened as he stared at the object. Von lifted it up higher, examining it like it were something special. "Zere...zat'z better, _izn't it_, Rudy? I'm sure you're glad to have zat nazty zing out of you." He lowered the nail slightly as he looked down at the boy. "Am I right? Don't you feel much _better_?"

"Oh my g... _Rudy_!" Penny cried. She immediately rushed over to the boy. She knelt down beside him. "_Are you okay_?!"

Rudy looked up at Penny. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that would come out was a bit of blood from his mouth corners. The sight of this caused Snap's stomach to sting. _Oh no, Rudy_...

Mrs. Sanchez was the next one to reach him. She lowered herself down to the boy's level. She reachet out and attempted to touch Rudy. The boy looked up at her and let out a high pitched whine before striking her hand away. This act was enough to irritate his wound and he let out a help, gripping his side wound as blood dripped from it.

Snap shook his head in denial. _No, this couldn't be happening... Not Rudy.. No_... He looked back at Rapsheeba and Howdy. They exchanged looks of horror with him. He could see just how terrified they were. He could see hints of tears in their eyes, just like Penny had. Snap could feel tears of his own start to surface as he stared back at his creator, watching the boy quiver in pain. Unable to take it any longer, Snap rushed over towards his friend.

"_Rudy! Bucko_!"

It didn't take him and his friends long to reach the boy. The few surviving zoners hung back, all five of them staring in shock. The man's act of hurting Rudy like that, seeing Rudy in that much pain, was enough to keep them back.

Snap sat down onto his knees in front of Rudy. He stared at him in the eyes as he reached over and managed to grab onto Rudy's shoulder. The boy began to squirm, letting out loud groans of pain. Snap tightened his grip, using his superhero strength that Rudy had designed him with. It wasn't much, but it did enable him to keep his grip on Rudy.

"_Rudy_! You've got to _calm down_!" Snap pleaded with him. "Please, settle yourself down before you hurt yourself more!"

"Yeah, listen to him, Rudy!" Howdy said as he reached out and gestured towards Rudy. "I know you can do this. Just relax and we can help you... _Please_."

"Calm yourself and everything will be all right." Said Rapsheeba.

But nothing they said worked. If anything, it just made things worse. Rudy's struggles increased, making it harder for Snap to hold him still. Snap wasn't sure what they were going to do. Rudy was in a lot of pain and it didn't seem like he was going to be able to calm himself down.

Thankfully, Mrs. Sanchez stepped up to the plate before Rudy injured himself more. She grabbed onto him, yanking him from Snap's grasp, and pushed him into the ground. She used her superior strength to hold the struggling boy. She stared down at him with narrowed, concern-filled eyes. After a few seconds, she began to speak.

"It's going to be okay, Rudy. You're going to be fine." Mrs. Sanchez said softly.

"_It hurts too much! Let me go! It hurts_!" Rudy snapped, turning his head from side to side. "_Stop! Let me go_!"

"Shh... You'll be fine. You're safe. Everything is going to be fine." Cooed Mrs. Sanchez, who managed to keep her voice calm and steady despite Rudy's thrashing and whimpers of pain.

Penny looked at Rudy sadly. She bit her lip as a few tears streamed down them. She leaned in closer and ran her fingers through his hair. "Please listen to my mom, Rudy. She knows what she's doing. She can help you. It'll be okay."

Snap watched the scene in horror, unable to tear his eyes away. He looked to his left and he could see Rapsheeba and Howdy moving closer to the boy, trying their best to comfort him. Snap moved in closer as well, placing his hand on Rudy's. He watched as the boy squirmed on the ground, feeling his heart skip a beat. First Blocky, then those zoners, now his creator? Where would Dr. Von Doktor stop? Did he even have an off switch? Did he...

_Wait... Blocky... Oh no_...

Snap looked over behind him. His eyes bulged at what he saw. "_Blocky_!"

This caused everyone to lift up their heads, save for Rudy, and stare out at where Dr. Von Doktor was. He heard a collection of gasps as everyone realized just what had happened.

Snap realized, with his blood turning to ice, that the man didn't attack Rudy just because he was angry. He did it so that they would all be distracted so he could make his move. While he and the others tended to Rudy, Von had attacked and killed the zoner holding onto Blocky using the eraser and now the man held the unconscious green zoner in his arms. A triumphant sneer was on his face.

Snap was stunned for several seconds, his mouth wide open. The sight of the zoner he had regarded as a brother being handled in such a way was enough to make his blood heat up. Without thinking, he straightened himself up and he rushed towards Von.

"_Give him back_!"

Snap wasn't alone. Hearing more footfalls, he noticed the other zoners, having been worked up enough, had started to rush towards the man as well, ignoring their wounds, a few of them even limping towards the door. He was horrified by this, but he kept his focus on trying to get Blocky back. In a few seconds, he was the first one to reach the man and he lunged at him.

Von caught him by his cape and held him up. Snap gagged and struggled in the air. He heard his friends cry out to him. The man ignored them and focused his eyes on Snap. The two stared at one another for several seconds. Snap bared his teeth at Von and tried to pull himself free. Von pulled his arm back and he threw Snap as hard as he could.

The blue and white zoner screamed as he skidded along the ground, landing painfully in a heap. He heard Rapsheeba call out to him, her footprints indicating her approach. He felt her grab onto him and help him up. Snap shook his head, trying to regain his bearings. He suddenly jerked forward when he heard several screams behind him. He looked over his shoulder. It took all his strength not to scream.

Dr. Von Doktor had used his eraser like a _fucking sword_, and he _mercilessly sliced_ at the zoners, cutting off a limb and letting them bleed to death. The zoners' screams and whimpers filled Snap's head, filling him with horror and despair. Unable to speak, he stared at the man in shere disbelief. Everything was happening so _fast_. He hardly had any time to react.

"Zo long!" Dr. Von Doktor said, giving a mock salute with the eraser before rushing outside. The door slammed and there was a click sound. It took seconds for everyone to realize that they had just been locked inside the room.

sss

Penny couldn't believe what had just happened. She watched the door, staring at it in disbelief. Just seconds ago, she and everyone else heard the click sound. The unmistakable signal that the door had been locked. They were all now trapped inside this room with no known way of getting out.

On top of that, Von had taken Blocky with him just before he left. He just..._grabbed him and left_. Poor Blocky... He had just gotten away from that horrid man and now he was stuck with him _again_. A part of her hoped he would stay unconscious so he wouldn't have to be terrified of whatever the man was going to put him through, but another part hoped he woke up soon so he would not be defenseless against Von.

_And the other zoners.. They were all killed_... Except for Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, the other zoners were dead. Von had finished off the rest of them, and she had no doubts in her mind that any other zoners that might have been around in the building, if at all possible, were gone. The alarm that the man had pulled would have also activated ones located in different parts of the building. _All of them_. Penny felt her heart sting as she realized just how little chance there was that any of the other zoners survived.

But she didn't have time to mourn them. Right now, Rudy needed help. She felt so torn. She wanted to get up and try to open the door to help Blocky, but she also didn't want to leave Rudy's side. She stared down at the suffering boy, biting her lip. At the moment, her mother was trying to settle him down, but the boy kept struggling, pain deeply etched onto his face.

Her eyes rested on the bloody hole that Von had given him. It lay closer ot his left side and it was deep and red, the skin looking partially torn. From what she called when the man held the nail, it was rusty, and this caused her to gasp in horror. _What if there was infection_? Rudy had to get to a hospital fast, before the infection could spread far.

She held onto her friend's hand, an attempt to comfort him. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. She felt her own water. She couldn't help but feel responsible for this. Why didn't she act sooner? Why didn't she try harder to stop Von from hurting him? She knew she couldn't blame herself completely; after all, it was that foul man who had done this to her friend. He was the one who had chose to do something like this. But still, she couldn't help but feel, in a way, responsible for all of this. She couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Penny." She heard her mother say. "Try to stop the bleeding."

Penny looked at the wound again. She could see it was still leaking blood out. The sight of it chilled her. Although not sterile, her own clothes would have to do. She tore off a piece of her skirt and wadded it up into a pad. She was about to apply pressure when something was brought to her attention.

"But if he was skewered..." It was Howdy who spoke. "Wouldn't that mean there are _two_ bleeding wounds?"

Penny's eyes widened. Yeah, it did mean that. She couldn't remember what the protocol was for such a thing. Should they cover up both holes or just one? If just one, which one is the appropiate to cover and which would not do them much good? Penny tried to think of what her mother told her, but unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything. In her panic, she had forgotten.

"We need to figure something out fast!" Rapsheeba said nervously.

"_Rudy! Bucko_!" Snap, who had recovered from Von's attack, rushed back over to them. He knelt down beside Rudy, looking down at his pain etched face. "_Speak to me_!"

Rudy opened up one eye. He stared over at Snap. His mind clouded by pain, his arms restrained by her mother to ensure he didn't hurt himself, Rudy expressed his fear another way. He bared his teeth at Snap and let out a low growl. "_D-Don't...touch...m-me_..."

Snap's face flashed with hurt. "Rudy...it's me. Don't you recognize me?"

"It's the pain. It's starting to take its toll on him." Penny heard her mom say. "He needs to be restrained so we can help him." She looked down at Penny. "We'll focus on the hole on his stomach. We need to keep him on his back so he can breathe." The woman turned her eyes towards the zoners. "I want you all to do exactly what I saw. Is that understood?"

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy nodded their heads.

"Good." She looked at Snap. "Hold down his right arm." She looked at Rapsheeba. "And you, his left." Her eyes turned to Howdy. "You, try to restrain his head as best as you can. We don't want him trying to bite anyone."

Penny felt her heart skip a beat at this. _Bite_... Just like she and Rudy had _bitten each other_... The very mention of the word was enough to sting her heart, and bring back uncomfortable memories.

The zoners looked uncomfortable as well. She could not blame them. The idea of Rudy being in so much pain and so desperate that he'd likely resort to biting was unsettling. She couldn't even trust him to remain calm enough not to do that. Pain could drive anyone mad, and with his arms and legs being restrained, it was the only weapon he had left.

Penny watched as her mom moved towards Rudy's legs. "I'll hold down the boy's legs so he can't kick anyone." The vet's gaze fell upon Penny. "Apply pressure to his wound. Be gentle, and be prepared. He might lurch from the pain, but don't let up. We need to stop the bleeding."

Penny nodded her head. She pushed aside the uncomfortable memory as she turned her attention to the open, bleeding wound. She watched as her friend squirmed on the ground, trying to get himself free. Poor Rudy... He was in _so much pain_... And there was so much _blood_... The fact that Rudy was still alive did bring some comfort; _none_ of his _vital_ blood vessels had been stricken.

Penny sucked in a deep breath and she placed the torn cloth against his bloody hole. The boy's eyes immediately widened and he let out a scream, his struggling increasing.

"_No_! Hold still, Rudy! This is for your own good!" Snap said.

"It'll be over quickly. _We promise_!" Howdy said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

Rapsheeba nodded her head as she tightened her grip. "Just hang in there, Rudy. Everything will be okay."

Penny felt horrible, knowing that her action was increasing Rudy's suffering. She couldn't let up too much, though. The bleeding had to be stopped. She whispered soft, comforting words to him as she continued to apply pressure. "It's okay, Rudy... It'll be over soon. You'll feel much better. You'll see."

sss

Blocky opened up his eyes slowly. He let out a groan, a pounding headache spreading through his skull. He tried to rub it, but his arms wouldn't move. He was just too tired, in too much pain to do much of anything. His vision also reflected his pain; everything was just so blurry.

He was so hungry. It felt as if he hadn't eaten in days. His mouth felt a little dry, as though he hadn't drank any water either. His stomach churned and stung as his brain desperately tried to make him eat food. But there was little he could do about that. He was just so _tired_...

He tried to remember what had happened. Where was he? What happened to him? How long had he been asleep? Why did he have this headache? Why did he have any of these body aches? Why did he feel as though he had been a sleep for a very long time? He tried to speak, tried to signal to someone around here to come over and fill him in, but all that would come out were some groans.

He was laying against something hard and cold. He couldn't make out what it was. His vision hadn't yet been restored. He could tell he was in some place kinda dark, but it wasn't excessively so. There was still some light, but despite that, he was having a bit of a hard time seeing his surroundings, to make out any details to identify his location.

He tried to jerk himself to one side to help himself climb to his feet. And what was when he was suddenly wracked in horrific pain. His eyes bulging, tears of pain forming in them, he dropped onto his back once more. He gripped his side, his body twisting and writhing in pain. _Oh dear gawd, what had happened to him_...?

"I zee you are _awake_ now." A cold voice said. "I wouldn't move too much if I were you. You could hurt yourzelf more."

Blocky froze immediately, his eyes bulging in horror. That voice... That horrible, chilling voice.. He had heard it before. His mind immediately flashed several memories, uncomfortable horrifying memories of this one particular man hurting him. The one that was responsible for him being in this mess.

He looked up at the source of the voice. He could see a shape coming into view. He watched carefully as his wobbly vision slowly came into focus. It took several seconds and multiple blinking of his eyes, but soon he could see who it was that had spoken to him. He felt his heart nearly stop as he realized who it was.

Dr. Von Doktor smirked down at him. "Did you mizz me? I know I _mizzed you_..."

Blocky immediately began to struggle frantically. He let out several cries of fear. He fought against his own physical pain as he tried to get away. He didn't get far before the man grabbed onto him and covered his mouth. His cries were muffled as he jerked his head from side to side. But it was no use. The lack of adequate food, water, and the presence of pain caused the rectangular zoner to stop struggling.

Von lowered his head and glared into Blocky's eyes. "We're going on a little trip. I need you to be az quiet az pozzible." Blocky flinched as he felt the man's hot breath hit his face. "If you give me _any_ trouble..." His voice lowered into a hiss. "Well...I juzt hope you aren't too attached to _life_..."

Blocky's eyes widened in horror at this. All instinct was telling him to struggle, but he managed to keep himself still.

The man stared down at him, tilting his head to one side. "Can I truzt zat you will be _zilent_?"

Blocky gave a few soft muffles, nodding his head frantically. Von smiled at this and released him. Blocky took in a few quick breaths. His heart began to race against his chest as he felt the man pet him, his hand moving along his forehead and the top of his head. He stared up at him in fear.

"Zat iz a good little animal. Zo long az you continue to be cooperative..." The man caressed his cheek, making him shudder. "_You will be juzt fine_."

Blocky wasn't sure just how fine he would be.


	36. Reveals

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 36: Reveals

_**Sometimes the best way to help someone is to betray them.**_

sss

_No.. It couldn't be true_. It wasn't possible. Tilly sifted through her thoughts rapidly, trying to think of something else that made sense. Anything else that would be more comforting.

But no such thing happened. All she was left with was this...this horrid conclusion. She couldn't shake the thoughts out of her mind, of what if, of what she could have done to prevent this. There was so much that she could have done, so many ways this could have gone that wouldn't have resulted in this... But still it happened, and there was nothing she could do to reverse time and fix it.

Rudy, Penny, and Inez were all..._missing_.

She felt a lump in her throat as the thought repeated itself in her head over and over. She wanted it to be some kind of mistake. She hoped that someone would bring her good news, and show her that they were all right. Yet no such thing happened.

She, her sister, and Joe had all journeyed to Inez's home. The decision was made after some more time passed with no word from them. Further attempts to contact the vet otherwise were useless, leading to no results. They had also tried to call some of the neighbors up, but they reported not seeing the woman leaving, indicating she was still home.

When they arrived, these claims seemed to be correct. Inez's home did not look abandoned at first. The familiar yellow vehicle was still there, parked in the driveway. But when they got closer, they began to see signs that something wasn't right. Or rather, hear it as well.

The animals were worked up. They were quite energetic and came up as far as their enclosures were allowed. They were staring at them expectantly. She and the others realized that the animals were very hungry and thirsty, and looking at where these supplies were kept, there was no indication that they had been fed at their regular time at this hour. This was strange; Inez was usually right on top of this and was quite _strict_ with her schedule. It wasn't like her to miss out on it.

And it wasn't like she was late coming home. The vehicle was still here. She couldn't be at the store like they had thought. And she surely wouldn't walk to town either. Not with all those animals she had to take care of. They couldn't imagine her letting Rudy and Penny walking to town on their own either; she would keep them at her place.

Fear already rose up inside the three humans. Thoughts raced through their head as they looked at one another, realizing what this probably meant. But they didn't want to jump to conclusions _yet_. Maybe something else had went on. Maybe everything was still all right. They kept looking.

Tilly, Millie, and Joe searched the house from top to bottom. They looked around at each room, scowering through the building for any sign of them. They called out their names, cupping their hands to their mouths to raise their volume. Even Sophie tried as hard as she could. She sometimes would see her daughter running around, zipping by as she desperately called out for her cousin. Each cry grew more and more sad, making Tilly's heart twist as she realized what this had to mean.

After about an hour of searching, double checking and rechecking, they all realized that they had to face facts. There was nothing else that it could be. The horrible truth was that their loved ones were missing, and they had no idea where to begin to look.

Tilly sat in the couch next to her sister, her body leaned back, head tilted upwards she stared at the ceiling. Her mind raced as the full realization of what had taken place struck her. She was unable to keep her mind clear, and she was constantly _bombarded_ by multiple questions. She kept asking herself how she could have let this happen, why didn't she do something sooner, why didn't she try harder, and many more.

She searched her mind for something Rudy said. She tried to remember anything that he told her that might be helpful. But unfortunately, the terror of what happened pushed much of what he said out of her mind. If he had told her anything important, then the fact that she didn't take it seriously enough at the time made it easy for her intense emotions in the moment to overwrite it. She feared she would not regain those bits of memory, and she could only work on what she knew.

The one thing that she was able to remember was that the reporter, Terry Bouffant, had been obsessed with ChalkZone. The very same world that her nephew had been going to. _The same place_ that she had promised him she'd _never_ tell his parents about.

The fact that Terry was interested in this world likely made her an enemy of Rudy, who had been protecting it. While Tilly did not fully understand why her nephew would do this, she decided it was best to respect his choice. But she knew that Terry would hold no such reservations; she had little reason to care about Rudy. And didn't she try to 'interview' him and Penny a few times in the past?

She shook the thoughts out of her head. No, Terry wouldn't do something like that. She was greedy yes, but not to the same degree was, say, Vinnie Raton, nor was she stupid. She wouldn't jeopardize everything just for the sake of hurting or kidnapping one child, let alone two, and a woman. And even Vinnie wouldn't go _that far_.

But what else could there be? Who else would have the motivation and the intelligence to pull off the kidnapping? She couldn't think of anyone else. Terry did have reason enough to go after Rudy and try to force the information out of him. And with how she had been acting lately, and some of the crazy things she said, would it be that much of a stretch for her to become desperate enough to try to pry information out in a less...legal way?

_And yet_... She couldn't help but doubt Terry's involvement on some level. Something about it just felt..._wrong_. She was smart, she can give her that. But still, something felt..._not right_. She found it hard to believe that Terry would be smart enough to pull a kidnapping of this calibur, of taking three people without anyone noticing.

So what would have happened? Who else could have been involved? Oh if only she could remember something Rudy had told her. But she still couldn't remember, and she wasn't even sure it was because Rudy did tell her and she forgot, or if he didn't tell her this and she was trying to conjure up a fake memory, which was possible. But the fact that she didn't know caused a headache to form and she found herself clutching her head, gritting her teeth.

Her sister took notice of this and swiveled her head over. "What is it?" Her voice was cautious, laced in sadness. "Did you think of something?"

Tilly let out a sigh and shook her head. "No... I thought I did, but I..." She closed her eyes and turned her head way. "No. I'm sorry."

Millie's face contorted in more sadness. "It's...all right. We're all stumped." She lowered her head and closed her eyes. "I just..can't believe that this happened."

"It's okay, Millie. We'll find them." Joe said, trying to be as comforting as possible. "You'll see."

Millie smiled up at her husband, but she didn't look all that comforted. She let out a sigh and lowered her head once more. Her eyes faced towards the ground, but it appeared as though she were looking at nothing. Her eyes had something of a vacant look in them. Well not fully vacant. Tilly could still see the spark of haunting in them. A look that only those who had lost a child could truly understand.

Tilly gritted her teeth as she looked away. She shut her eyes tightly, unable to fully let go fo the guilt she had started to feel. She knew she was purposely withholding information from her sister. Information that could help her better understand what happened. It was a terrible truth that she wished she could change. But she had promised Rudy that she wouldn't say a word. She couldn't betray his trust. She...

_But what of her sister? And Joe_? Was it really right to hold this information back during _this_ time? With what was happening? It would be different if nothing big was going on and they were all at home, going about their lives as normal. _But now_? When they were all _missing_? And her sister and her sister's husband had no idea who would have taken them? That didn't exactly bode very well.

She looked down at her own daughter. Sophie was laying against her. The usually cheerful girl looked depressed. Occassionally, she'd look up and stare out hopefully, likely waiting for Rudy to show up. But when he didn't, she'd just say and lower her head.

The sight of Sophie like this made her heart twist. Tilly could tell just how much her daughter was hurting from not seeing Rudy. She had all but forgotten about their little spat earlier, and now all she wanted was to have Rudy back, to be with him, to play with him. Now he wasn't here, and she couldn't understand why.

Seeing her daughter reminded her of how she would feel if she were missing. It reminded her of a parent's love and how much they'd worry if their child were gone. It was because of that, she had started to have doubts of withholding such important information.

Only Tilly understood the most likely reason. Only she could deliver the news that may help them take further action.

She narrowed her eyes. There was no choice. She knew what she had to do. She could only hope that Rudy would forgive her when they find him. Or _if_ they find him...

Tilly turned her head towards her sister. She placed her hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. Her sister let out a soft sniffle as she turned her head. Tilly felt her heart twist further when she saw the tear stains on her sister's cheeks. Her sister had tried so hard to keep her emotions in check and now that was failing.

Joe didn't look much better. Though he hadn't cried much yet, she could still see a strong sadness in his eyes, and she could see just how hard it was for him to keep himself composed. As with his wife, he stared at her, waiting for her to speak.

Tilly hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure how to go about this, or how to word anything. A part of her feared what Rudy might think of her should he ever find out. But...this had to be done. He was in _trouble_, and his parents had the right to know what might be going on. Taking in a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for whatever backlash she might get, whether from her sister or nephew or from Joe, and she began to speak.

"I..I have something I need to tell you guys..."

At this, Joe and Millie looked at each other. They stared at one another in confusion, and then looked back at Tilly.

"I just...hope that you two will understand."

Joe and Millie frowned in confusion. For the time being, their sadness had faded away as uncertainty took over. They stared at Tilly in silence for a few seconds. Tilly paused, feeling a stronger sense of guilt when she saw the looks in their eyes.

"What..what do you mean?" Joe asked.

Millie stared at her sister in the eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Tilly closed her eyes and looked away. "Well..you see..."

She began to recount Rudy's story.

sss

Penny stared at Rudy sympathetically. She watched as he squirmed on the ground, trying in vein to get away from the agony. Even with Snap and Rapsheeba holding him down, he was still managing to move a little, his head jerking from one side to the other. It was an uncomfortable, horrible sight to behold, and unfortunately, there was little they could do about it.

Her mom hadn't been able to find any useful chemicals in this room, and what she did find was not labeled. She was not about to take chances and risk hurting Rudy move. So she refused to use them. This meant that Rudy had no painkillers to help soften the blow, and he was forced to lay there in shere agony. At least the tight bandages helped to allievate some of the bleeding. But still...

"_Ahhh_! Make it stop! Please!"

Penny whipped her head around when she heard Rudy screaming. Her pupils shrank as she watched him writhe more violently on the ground. He had managed to toss Snap away and Rapsheeba was now laying across him, trying to use her weight to hold him down. This didn't last very long and Rudy kicked her away.

"Rudy! _Stop_!" Penny shouted as she started to rush over. "You'll...!"

Her mother beat her to the punch. The woman closed the gap much faster. Just like before, she grabbed onto the boy's shoulders and pressed him down. She kept holding him even as the boy screamed and cried, his arms flailing at her in desperation. One of the hands struck her arm, the nails making small, but painful cuts. Her mother flinched, but still held on.

When Penny saw him try again, she immediately rushed over, resuming her charge. She grabbed onto the boy's left arm. She held on tightly, pushing it into the ground. She applied more pressure, but then suddenly she was stopped when Rudy let out a scream and his thrashing increased.

Penny realized that she had accidentally applied pressure _to the bite wound_. A wave of guilt rushed through her as she realized this, and her grip on the boy loosened up. This turned out to be a mistake when Rudy pulled his arm free and struck her across her face. She let out a scream as she was knocked back.

"Buckette!" Snap rushed to her side and knelt down beside her. "_Are you okay_?!"

Penny let out a soft groan. "Y-Yeah...I'm fine..." Penny pushed herself up with one hand, rubbing her face with the other. She felt a slight indention from partially torn skin. She looked down at the wound. Thankfully, it was quite shallow, and there were only tiny specks of blood.

Penny turned her attention back towards her mother. The woman was still holding down Rudy. The way her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were bared tightly suggested that she was having some trouble with the boy. This didn't at all surprise Penny. Rudy's thrashes were getting _worse_.

And how could she blame him either? The wound in his stomach might be treated, but the pain was still present. The boy was trying _so hard_ to get away from it, and they could not help him with the pain. There was no medicine that they could give him. The poor boy was going to have to suffer through the shere agony of it all, with no hope of escape. The mere thought of that chilled Penny's blood. There's...there's got to be _some way_ that they could help him.

Penny turned her attention towards the door. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the locking mechanism. That was the one thing holding them back. That was the only reason they couldn't get out of here. If Von hadn't locked them in, they could take Rudy to another room with the right supplied and better treat his injury. Instead, they were stuck in here, and she had no idea when Von would come back. Or _if_ he would come back...

It wasn't just Rudy who was in danger either. The zoners in ChalkZone were in danger as well. Blocky, too. He had been taken by that horrid man, dragged with to wherever the man decided to take him. She had no idea if the man was going to do more experimentations on Blocky, if he planned on killing him, if he planned on using him as bait... The only thing that she did know for certain was that he didn't take him just to let him go.

They all had to get out of here and fast. The longer they stayed in here, the closer they were letting Dr. Von Doktor get to victory. If they allow him to succeed, then it was only the beginning of the end for ChalkZone. _The horrible things that would follow_... She didn't want to imagine them.

But how would they get out with the door locked? Rapsheeba, Snap, and Howdy might be able to get out in 2D mode, but even then, they couldn't open the door once they were out. And leaving them out would only make them vulnerable to Von. Even the act of trying to find that chalkboard with the portal was too dangerous. What if Von were expecting them and was waiting for them? Or set up some kind of trap for when they attempted? It wouldn't be that hard to set up a water-based trap for them. Not much need for caution since water did not hurt him.

But Snap, Howdy, and Rapsheeba... They _wouldn't_ be so lucky..

"_Whoa! Hold on_!" Howdy's cry brought Penny out of her thoughts. The puppet was hanging onto Rudy's head, which was jerking even more. "Please hold still! _Calm down_! Everything will be..."

Penny flinched when Rudy jerked his head to one side, using enough force to knock the zoner away from him. Howdy let out a scream as he sailed through the air and hit against Penny. She cradled him in her arms, staring down at him with concern.

"Are you okay?" Penny asked.

Howdy rubbed his head and shook it as if to regain his bearings. "For the most part." He looked over at where Rudy was. "What are we going to do? He won't calm down."

"Pain makes it hard for anyone to relax." Rapsheeba said. Her eyes held nothing but sympathy for Rudy. "Poor kid..."

"I wish there was something we could do help him. Oh if only we had some kind of medicine... Even a few over-the-counter painkillers would do wonders for him." Snap said sadly.

Penny nodded in agreement. "The only way I can see us reducing his pain is if we knock him out with a rock. But that would not be a good idea." She shook her head slowly. "That would only make his condition _worse_." She stared at her friends and then looked at Rudy. "As much as I hate the idea, all we can do now is wait it out and hope for the best."

A loud scream from Rudy chilled their blood. They stared in horror as Rudy's eyes bulged open wider, Penny's mom doing what she can to hold him still. Penny and the zoners looked at each other nervously, their hearts twisting up inside their chests.

"I don't know how much I like the idea of waiting..." Snap said, biting his lip.

"Me neither..." Howdy spoke softly. His body shook from the emotion all around him. "There _has_ to be something that we can do..."

"It seems about all we can do is comfort him." Said Rapsheeba.

Penny nodded her head. Rapsheeba was right. Even if they couldn't stop the pain, they should at least try to comfort him. This meant getting close to his thrashing body, but they didn't have a choice. They needed to be close to him, to be able to touch him, comfort him. He needed them right now. He was always there for them. Now they needed to do the same for him.

The group of four walked cautiously over towards Rudy. Penny watched as her mom continued to hold the boy down. His legs were kicking out frantically, and his hands were pushed against her arms, his nails digging in. Penny saw a look of pain in her mother's eyes, but still she held on. She and her zoner friends took position by Rudy, each in a different location.

Penny was the first one to speak.

"Rudy, I know how much it hurts... But please, don't squirm around like this. You will only make it worse. Please Rudy, it pains us to see you like this. Please...please try to relax. You'll be okay. We promise."

Penny reached down and rubbed her hand along Rudy's arm gently. She was careful to avoid the bite wound that was on the arm. She then gently grasped his hand and pried it from her mother's arm, pulling back the digits as she did so. She allowed Rudy to grab her arm. She flinched, but held her ground. She merely used her other arm to continue to caress this one. She listened to his helpless whimpers, feeling her heart clench.

"Shh... It's going to be okay, Rudy." She whispered softly as she stared down at him. Rudy opened up one eye and looked at her. She nearly gasped when she saw just how pain-filled it was. "You'll be fine. I know it hurts. But you've got to relax. It'll only hurt worse the more you struggle. _Shhh_...it's okay..."

She and her friends did what they could to comfort Rudy. They spoke as gently as they could, even as the boy let out a few more screams of pain. They kept speaking softly to him, working together to try to calm him down.

sss

"You...you _what_...?" Millie whispered softly.

"How could you do _that_?" Joe was just as shocked.

Tilly lowered her head in shame. She would have loved to tell them otherwise. Alas, she could not. All she could do was stare at them sadly and nod her head slowly. "I'm not proud of it..."

"_Well I should hope not_!" Millie hissed, anger laced on her voice. "_How could you hurt my son?! Your own nephew_?!" Joe didn't say a word. He simply shared his wife's glare, staring at Tilly with a great intensity she rarely got from him.

Tilly had been recounting the story of what had happened. She had only wanted to tell small bits, but other things flowed out of her mouth, even when she didn't mean for them. And one of them was confessing to her sister that, after she discovered Rudy's secret, she had slapped him out of anger. Needless to say, the reaction her sister gave was expected and understandable.

She hadn't even fully explained her discovery yet. She did not give full details of ChalkZone. She had only mentioned she found something very strange on the chalkboard and that she had confronted Rudy about it, and that he had been hiding it for a long time. She had started to get into what it was to help them get a better idea of just why she reacted the way she did. But she didn't get very far when her sister and her husband blew up in her face.

"We _trusted_ you, Tilly! We let you stay here because we thought you would be able to take care of our son! But you _hurt_ him... You struck him and hurt him!" Millie snarled at her sister. Her expression was filled with hurt and betrayal. Tilly looked at her sadly, not bothering to speak up. "And what makes it worse, other than the fact that you're my sister, but you have Sophie there too!" She held her hand out to gesture to the little toddler. "You wouldn't do that to your _own daughter_, would you?"

"_What_?!" Tilly wailed. She shook her head rapidly. "_No_! Of course not!" How could her sister even suggest such a horrible thing?

"Then why did you do it to our boy?" Joe asked, narrowing his eyes. "You once told us that he was like a son to you." He folded his arms against his chest. "Well you've got a funny way of showing it..."

Tilly sighed softly, lowering her head in shame. She couldn't blame them for being angry. They had every right to be. She had hurt their son. It may have been an accident, but that didn't really change much. She was the one who lost her temper. She was the one who initiated the attack. She should have been more careful. She should have controlled herself more. Instead, she let her emotion get the better of her and she just..._hit_ Rudy. She could still see his hurt look staring back at her...

She tried her best not to dwell on it too much. She had apologized to Rudy and he had accepted her apology. They had mended things between each other the best that they could. She would continue to remain guilt-ridden for a while, but at least she knew that Rudy had forgiven her.

Right now, she had to focus on continuing the story. There was more that she needed to tell them. More that they needed to know. She hadn't even gotten the more important parts of her story yet. She still had to tell them about ChalkZone, despite her promise to Rudy. They needed to know so that they were better able to find him and help him. Perhaps there was another way, but in the moment, she could not find one.

"There's still more I need to tell you." Tilly said. "So can you please let me continue?"

"_Why should we_? Do you think we want to listen to more of you _beating up_ our son?" Joe snarled, baring his teeth.

Tilly felt her heart twist. "N-No... That's not what I..." Her voice trailed off as she stared at Millie and Joe. Their harsh glares made it difficult for her to say another word. She wished they would give her a chance to explain more. She wished they wouldn't let their anger get the better of them. There were more going on than they realized. They...

"I should report you for child abuse." Millie said, her voice icy cold.

Tilly's heart froze at this. She stared at her sister in shock. She tried to speak, tried to respond, but no words would come out. All she could do was mumble desperately, trying in vain to say something. But there was nothing more than silence.

After a few long, tense moments, Millie gave a sigh. She shut her eyes and placed a hand over her face. "But...you're still my sister. I don't know if I would be able to do that to you."

Tilly smiled. "I..."

"But _I_ could."

Both women turned to Joe. The man's harsh glare never left Tilly's sights. Tilly shuddered. The man's glare felt like the closest thing to a laser beam being shot out at her. It felt as though something was weighing down on her, preventing her from moving.

Her sister, though still having a frown on her face, was looking at her husband with some instance of surprise in those eyes of hers. She didn't say a word just yet. She just looked at Joe as if he had lost his mind. The man gave no such indication. He looked ready to run towards the phone to dial the number for the police. In fact, if Millie weren't holding onto his arm, she was certain that's exactly what he would do.

"Joe..." Millie started to say. "_Don't_."

Joe turned to glare at his wife. "_Are you kidding me_?! She _attacked_ our son! Aren't you.."

"Angry? Yes, I'm furious. She's my _sister_. Don't you think I feel hurt discovering that she attacked our only son?" Millie said. She glared over at Tilly, causing ice to go through her heart. She then gave a sigh and her frown lessened. "But she's _still_ my sister, and I'm sure she's really sorry about what she did." She looked back at her sister. "Aren't you?"

Tilly didn't waste any time and nodded her head. "Yes, of course I am. I never meant to hit him. I let my anger gain control of me, and I am disgusted by that. I broke down after I realize what I did, and I apologized to him. He forgave me. We patched things up. Trust me, Millie and Joe. I would never ever do something like that on purpose. I will see to it that it won't happen again."

Sophie, who had a little understanding of what was being said, held onto her mother. "_No go! No go_!"

Millie's expression softened up when she saw Sophie cling to Tilly. Slowly, half of her mouth ticked into a very faint smile. "Oh sweetie... It'll be okay."

Sophie didn't look like she believed her. Tilly grunted as Sophie jumped further into her arms, pressing her head against her. She held Sophie close to her and whispered soft words to her. She did her best to reassure the little girl that everything was going to be okay. She looked over at Joe.

The man stared at her intently at first. The glare was still on his face. Then he looked down at Sophie. As he stared at the little girl, it seemed to get into his mind just how Sophie might feel if he jailed her mother. Slowly, his expression softened up, his facial muscles relaxing. He continued to stare at Sophie for a few more moments, his mouth partially open. Then the shut his mouth tightly and turned his head away.

"Okay, fine..." Joe growled softly. "I won't call." He turned his attention back to Tilly. "Go on... Continue your story."

"Thank you." Tilly said as she smiled at the two parents. They did not smile back. Her own faded away and she cleared her throat. "Now, as I was saying, Rudy wanted me to keep it a secret. But I.."

"_Whoa whoa_..." Joe waved his hand frantically in front of him. "Promised not to tell us what?"

"I don't think you got fully into that detail yet." Millie pointed out.

Tilly lowered her gaze. "Oh yeah..." She looked back at them. "I was just getting to that detail when..."

"_Oh just tell us already_!" Joe snapped at her. Tilly cringed back. Mille shot a glare at her husband. The man flinched at this. He made an effort to speak more softly. "I mean...can you please tell us...?"

Tilly couldn't believe what she was about to do. She couldn't believe that she was really going to betray Rudy like this. She told herself over and over again she had no choice. He was in trouble and she needed to tell her sister and her husband about it. If she didn't, they would never understand any of her suggestions, and may write them off as nothing.

The next words she would say would either shatter what they knew about the world or make them even angrier. She sucked in a deep breath, preparing to deliver the statement and await their reaction.

"Do you remember Terry Bouffant's rant about a fabled chalk world?" Tilly asked. At their nod, she continued. "Well...it's _real_."

"What...?" Millie asked softly as her and her husband's eyes widened in shock.

"And Rudy has been going to it for _two years_."

sss

Blocky couldn't stop shivering. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the man standing before him. The man looked so twisted, the accent of the light increasing this, casting dark shadows on the man's face and different parts of his body. The small zoner would have struggled if he could, but he was too frozen in fear to do anything.

He had a hard time wrapping his mind around this. How could this have happened? How did he get here? How did he not remember being carried away by this vile man? Blocky had little to go on, and at the moment, it didn't really matter to him exactly how all of this had happened. Right now, he was more interested in one thing: _getting away_.

But how was he going to get out of this? His body was too wracked in pain, his mind too frozne in fear, to do much of anything. He could also feel some cold shackles against his arms and legs. He had little room to manuever, and twisting around wouldn't help too much.

And now, there was yet another obstacle getting in his way. Something that took him a little while to realize.

_They were now in ChalkZone_.

A part of him was elated. He was glad to finally be back on familiar territory. Even the act of breathing ChalkZone's air was enough to help him feel a little better. But that faded away quickly when something else dawned on his mind. Since this was ChalkZone, it meant that he could not use his 2D powers to escape.

But it also meant something else. And it caused his blood to turn to ice. He hoped that this man would never know of this, but if he had taken him into ChalkZone, then chances were..._he already knew_...

_The man could draw whatever he needed now_. He could create any kind of torture device and use it on him if he so wished. On top of that, the man was now free to use any kind of fluid on him. This meant that he could test certain chemicals on him by drawing a bottle filled with the stuff and forcing him to drink it. He could also perform exploratory surgery on him after rendering him unconscious. The possibilities were _endless_.

And so were the horrors that swept through his mind and body. He could feel his shivering increase as he stared at the man in fear. He hoped and prayed that this man wouldn't go that far. He hoped that the man would be at least sensible and not do anything that would endanger his life, or the lives of any other zoner that he may decide to trap.

"P-Please...why are you doing this...?" Blocky knew it was pointless to ask. Through his pain-ridden mind, he recalled that the man cared little about the pain that he caused to a zoner. Still he felt like he needed to ask. "Why can't you just let me go...?"

Dr. Von Doktor approached him. He circled the platform that the zoner was strapped down into. Blocky tried to lift up his head to look, but he wound up irritating his wound, causing him to yelp and he stopped trying. He moved his pupils around, doing what he could to keep an eye on him. A few times, the man went out of his sight range, and his body tensed up at that.

It wasn't much of a relief when he could see him either. He kept looking at him, waiting for him to make a move against him. Waiting to be struck, waiting to be hurt, waited to be experimented on.

Then at last, the man stopped circling him, and positioned himself behind him. The green zoner struggled to look at him. He squirmed on the platform, ignoring the pain as he twisted himself from side to side just to get a good look at the man. All he was able to do was make out some color and blurred shapes in his peripherial vision. That did little to help him feel better. Then he felt pressure around his shoulder and he jolted. He quickly realized that the man had grabbed onto his shoulder.

"_Please_...what do you plan on doing with me...?" The rectangular zoner asked. A few tears formed in his eyes. "What are you going to do to m-me..?"

This time, Von responded. "Oh not much, really. For now. I haven't yet dezided what I want to do." The man's grip on his shoulder tightened slightly. Blocky winced at this. "Now zat we are in ChalkZone, zere'z zo much more I can do wiz you. You know, my draztic fleeing really did pay off. I should have come here much zooner. I no longer feel _zo_...limited."

Blocky felt his heart skip a beat this. He let out a few small whimpers as he watched the man walk out to his side. He towered over him, sneering down at his small form. His eyes, it felt like he was staring straight into his soul. Those eyes, they were filled with _so_ many hidden promises, and none of them were good.

His mind raced when he saw the man lift up a the magic chalk, the ends sparkling. Normally, he didn't mind this, but the fact that the chalk was being wielded by someone who wanted to hurt him, that made the sparkling look much more ominous, foreboding. A warning to what was about to come.

"Here..juzt _imagine_ what I could do. I wanted to ztudy your body _in full_, and here I can."

Blocky's face paled at this. He wanted to speak, but he could only manage more whimpering. _Please no_... He didn't want _this_... What did he do to deserve this...?

The man's smile grew more twisted. "I could inject you wiz zomezing zo I can prozeed wizout problem. I could tezt all kindz of ztuff on you. I have abzolutely no limits here." The man tilted his head, tapping his chin thoughtfully with the chalk. "I wonder what I should do firzt. Should I vivizect you, zee your internal organz? Should I do more extensive tezting of your skin? Should I figure out your digeztive zyztem?"

Blocky tried to shake his head. "N-No...please..."

"Zorry, but you don't get to decide. _I do_." Von said with a sneer.

Blocky whimpered at this. He shut his eyes and awaited the pain. At least if he had his eyes closed, he could try to partially block out what was happening. He braced himself for whatever pain the main was going to inflict upon him.

But when nothing happened, he felt a pang of confusion. He opened up his eyes and looked up, seeing that the man hadn't moved from his spot. At the moment, he was rubbing his chin, his eyes pointed upwards in a thoughtful manner. Blocky clenched his teeth. _What was the man up to_?

After a few moments, the scientist said, "But...I zink I will keep you alive longer. I don't really need to use you anymore for my experimentz." He stared at the magic chalk, his eyes flashing with something that Blocky could not explain nor enjoyed. "Wiz ziz, I can create my _own_ zpecimenz.."

Realizing the full impact of what this meant, Blocky couldn't help but gasp in horror. The man was going off the deep end now. _Rudy, Penny, Snap, the others_... They had to _hurry_.

sss

"What? Are you crazy? We can't do _that_!"

"Why _not_?"

"_It's too dangerous_!"

"Well do _you_ have any ideas?"

Rudy let out a soft groan as the voices plagued his head. He turned his head to head side, gritting his teeth. He couldn't see anything, but that's to be expected with his eyes shut. But he couldn't open them. He was just too tired for some reason. He was _so_ exhausted and he didn't know _why_.

He tried to block out the voices. He tried to concentrate on sleeping. But that became a difficult task, if not impossible. He continued to hear them spout out words over and over. Sometimes they would make sense. Other times, they were just so _darn_ confusing. It was as if they were speaking a foreign tongue. Complicating matters was how echoey the voices seemed at times. The thought would have chilled his spine if he were more aware of what was going on and where he was.

All that he was aware of was being in a room with lights that seemed, for some odd reason, too bright for him. He wasn't sure why. The lights were preventing him from getting a good look around. That was just another reason to add onto his overall tiredness, giving him more of a reason to just go to sleep.

But something was preventing him from doing so. He wasn't even sure if he could explain it. There was something in his mind telling him not to sleep, that he would be in a lot of trouble if he did. There was some kind of weird sensation in his stomach. He wasn't sure what was causing the burning. The feeling was familiar, as if he had felt this way before. And it was rather _unpleasant_.

Yet, despite that, he was not able to identify the emotion. It was as if his mind was too tired to be bothered with it. As a result, he was feeling something rather unusual, perplexing, almost scary, yet he was unable to appropriately react to it.

And he didn't find anything strange about this at all. He just wanted to sleep.

"Look I'm telling you it's the only way! Otherwise we'll be trapped here and who knows what Von is going to do once he gets there!"

"You mean _if_ he gets there!"

But the voices certainly weren't going to help. They kept echoing in his mind, bantering back and voice. Odd thing was, the voices sounded the same. They were so distorted and warped, it resulted in this. For Rudy, it sounded as if the same person were speaking and arguing amongst thesmelves. All fine and good, but did they really have to be so _loud_?

Rudy attempted again to block them out. He curled up on the ground and pulled his arms over his head, attempting to block out the sound. His hands pressed against his ears firmly, hoping to try to filter out at least some of the sound so he could sleep.

"Well I... Oh no, Rudy _don't do that_!"

Rudy opened up one eye. He looked over at where the voice came from. A blurry shape amongst the bright light was heading towards him. He couldn't tell who it was, if it was anyone that he knew. He recognized some hint of concern on the voice, but it was so distorted and distant that he couldn't tell.

"You're going to hurt yourself if you do that!"

"_Please_!" Another figure came into view. This one seemed shorter, though not by a whole lot. "Get yourself onto your back! You can't lay on your side like that!"

Rudy wasn't sure what the voices were talking about. He was feeling just fine. He just needed to curl up and...

Suddenly, without warning, there was an unusual sensation creeping along his side. It was gradual, moving as though it were some kind of snake or serpent. He thought it was strange, but didn't think anything of it at first. He ignored the frantic voices and began to shut his eyes.

That only lasted a few seconds. The sensation rapidly grew more distressing, uncomfortable. His eyes could not remain closed and he ended up lifting his head. The sensation was rapidly growing more and more unbearable, then it became _sharper_, and he seethed through his clenched teeth.

And then came the screams.

"_Ahhhh_!"

"_Hold him still_!"

"Oh man, I thought we had calmed him down already!"

"Do it again!"

_Oh gawd, the pain_... Where was it all coming from? Why was his stomach feeling as though it was _on fire_? Why did it feel as though someone took a sword and stuck it through there? The boy found himself squirming on the ground, unable to stop. He turned his head from one side to the other, constantly letting out screams and cries of pain. He was still unaware of his surroundings. He still didn't know who was here with him. All that he knew was that he was in pain and that he had to get out of here now.

Then to add to his fear, he felt something grabbing onto him. Something warm yet firm. His limbs were being pinned down at his sides. He let out a scream of terror. It was then he realized what he was feeling before. It was fear and apprehension. _Was this the reason why_?

He felt something brush up beside him. With his arms restrained, instincts told him to use the remaining thing available. Rudy struck out with his head blindly, snapping his jaws at whatever was closest to him. He hit something. Weird texture but fleshy. He bit down hard.

"_Ow_! Rudy! Stop! It's _me_, Snap!" The voice cried. "_Stop biting me, please_!"

Snap? He didn't recal Snap sounding this distorted. But then, the voice did appear to have an accent that time. One that did sound a little like his friend...

Rudy didn't have time to react. He felt someone grab onto his head. Something gripped his lower jaw and applied pressure. Rudy squeezed his eyes shut from the pain, the fingers causing irritation to his jaw as it was being forced down. He fought against it, turning his head to one side. It didn't help him for long and soon his mouth was pried open. Whatever was in his mouth slipped out with ease.

"Now, Rudy, I need you to..."

Unable to control himself, his mind overwhelmed with pain, terrified of not being able to move his arms, Rudy slammed his jaws onto the fingers that had been opening his mouth against his will. He heard a screech and he knew he hit his target. He bit down hard, unwilling to let go.

"Rudy! _Let go_! You're only making this _worse_! Rudy, I.. _ow_!"

"What are we going to do?!" One voice called out, sounding terrified. "He's gone _mad with pain_!"

"We tried comforting him, but I don't think that's going to work. I think Von hit a very sensitive nerve there!"

"How are we going to stop him _now_?"

Rudy felt a loud thud in his head. It was the agony. It was coursing through his body, swimming like some kind of massive lizard that got inside, constantly trying to claw its way out. The imaginary sharp talons were raking on his side, trying to rip it open, desperately trying to claw its way out. The more it struck, the more pain invaded his mind, the harder he bit down.

The voices around him grew more frantic. At this point, he stopped listening to what they were saying. He still didn't know who they were, but he was having doubts that they were his friends. Even in his confused, pain-ridden mind, he could remember that his friends would _never_ restrain him like this. They must be _imposters_. They want to use him for something. They must have been the ones who actually hurt him.

_Yes_...that's where the pain was coming from. They were hurting him right now. They were trying to hold him still so they could hurt him more. Well _not_ today. He was not going to let them get away with this.

He began to struggle harder. He used as much energy as he could. He tried to pull back his arms. His legs, he noticed they were still free. He began to kcik with them, trying to hit against those that dare to hurt him. He would make them pay for this.

He hit one of his targets.

"_Ouch_! Rudy! What'd you do that?!"

Rudy merely let out a scream, muffled partially by the finger that was in his mouth. One that was not just tinged in pain, but also anger. He did not speak. His wide, bulging eyes could not register the pain of the light. All that he knew was _escape and survival_.

"_Rudy, let go_!"

Rudy felt something hit against his head. He merely growled, tightening his grip, hearing his attacker cry out in pain. Again and again he was hit in the head, yet he refused to release his grip. There was no way that he was going to let them go. Not until they let him go.

"_Wait_! I think I found something!"

"What is...where did you find that?"

"It was over there! Do you think it'll work?"

A pause. "It might, but we will need the right dosage."

Right dosage for what? Rudy's mind began to fill with some curiosity.

"I'll go get the needle." Said one of the voices. "I'll make sure it's the right about. You guys just focus on holding him down."

Rudy's eyes widened at this. Realizing that he might be in terrible danger, he let go of the finger and he began to scream loudly. Not just out of fear, but also an attempt to scare away his attackers. It was sort of like how a cat would hiss or a dog would snarl.

Then, finding his voice, he began to scream words.

"_Don't you fucking dare touch me you monsters! Don't come near me! I'm warning you! I'll rip you apart_!"

"...oh, Rudy... How can you say that...?" One of the voices said. They sounded distressed, but Rudy did not care.

"_I swear, if any of you dares to touch me, I'll bite off your finger_!" He tossed his head from side to side. "_Don't think I'm joking either! I'll do it! I fucking swear I will do it! I..._"

His voice went silent when he felt something cold and sharp in the side of his neck. His eyes bulged and he took in a sharp intake of breath. The needle pushed further into his skin and he thought he could detect something cold his body.

His eyes bulged. What were they going to do with him? His struggles increased. He tried desperately to get free. He had to keep trying harder. There's got to be someway to get out of here. There has to be. This couldn't be happening. _No_... Rudy let out a series of screams as he tried to get away, tried to get up and run. His attackers held him down, preventing escape. He cursed them out, trying his damnest to bite or hit them.

They tried to trick him. They tried to tell him it was going to be all right. _Such filthy liars_... He would get out of here. He would escape. He would make sure they paid for what they did. He...

Suddenly, he started to feel really tired. His eyes started to flutter shut. His anger and his fear began to melt away as exhaustion started to take him over once more. He smacked his lips together slowly. Oh man, he was _so tired_... Had he ever gone to sleep recently? He wasn't sure, and he found it harder to keep his eyes open.

Then came the darkness and calmness. Rudy never felt more at peace before. He looked around, and the dark figures that had been restraining him no longer seemed so frightening. They seemed more...inviting. Rudy rested his head on the ground and let out a sigh of contentment.

sss

"_Wait_! I'm not so sure about this!" Tilly called out.

Millie shot her sister a glare. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. _But if you cared at all about Rudy_..."

Tilly snapped her head back at that. "I'm not saying I don't. I just think we should think this through more. What if we accidentally make things worse?"

Joe sighed at this. "I...suppose I understand. But Tilly, we can't just let this go." He held his hand out in gesture. "I'm not even sure if what you're saying about this chalk world is the truth. I know your daughter seems to believe it..." He glanced down, watching the little girl clutch against her mother. "But that doesn't mean we have to. But that doesn't even matter right now. If that guy has our son..."

"I hope you understand why we have to go, Tilly. I'm sure you do. You have a daughter." Millie said. "If she were in danger, you would do whatever it took to help her, right?"

"Well, yes, _but_..." Tilly began to say.

"Then you know why we are going." Millie finished before she could get another word in edgewise.

Millie stared at her sister, her gaze unwafering, showing her that she meant what she said. She had no idea if her sister spoke the truth about this ChalkZone. The idea was rather shocking, and the idea of Rudy keeping it from them was _unsettling_. She didn't want to believe her own son would lie to her about this. A part of her just wanted to label her sister a lunatic and have her sent somewhere to get help.

But she _couldn't_ do that to Sophie. Who would take care of her? Well she supposed she could, but would Sophie even understand what was going on? Would she realize she was the reason her mom was gone? Would she grow to resent her for it?

Besides, there was a more important matter at hand. Right now, Millie didn't care if her sister was crazy or not. She did just give them enough information to give them a lead.

If this Dr. Von Doktor guy thought he could get away with this, if he thought for one minute that she was going to allow him to hold her son and friend hostage, he was going to have another think coming. She didn't care if her sister would help her or not. She and her husband would do what they could to get Rudy back, with or without her help.

"I'm sorry, Tilly." Millie said. "But this is the way it has to be."

Tilly looked at her sister sadly. "Please... It might be _too dangerous_. I..."

"You don't have to come with us. We would never ask that of you. You have someone to look after." Joe looked at Sophie a second time. He looked back at Tilly. "Millie and I will go to Dr. Von Doktor's place on our own. If our son is there, we'll get him back."

Tilly stared at them, her eyes wide in desperation and uncertainty. Millie felt a pang of guilt. She had never seen her sister look at them this way before. She wanted to tell her something to help her feel better, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. They had made up their minds. Even if it turned out to be a false lead...

It was _all_ they had.

After a few moments, Tilly seemed to accept that she wasn't going to be able to stop them. She sucked in a deep breath and sighed. She whispered two simple words.

"_Be careful_."

"Don't worry." Joe replied. "We _will_."


	37. Paths

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 37: Paths

_**How strange is it if I choose the same direction as you, when you did not even tell me of said direction?.**_

sss

_There it is. Their destination_. They had finally reached it. It may have only taken about twenty minutes. But to the worried parents, it felt like it took at least three times longer. It didn't help that the traffic was a little worse than they thought it would be for this hour. Joe had to slam on the brakes at least three times as they tried to get here.

Now at last, after what felt like so long of driving, Joe could see the large, foreboding building in front of him. He narrowed his eyes as they approached it. He remembered this place quite well. This wasn't the first time that he had came here, although his real first time was unwilling. Dr. Von Doktor had just taken them over with no warning. To be fair, he and his wife did kind of agree and they kind of went along willingly. Still, this is the first time he and his wife consciously decided to come here.

The very _idea_ of coming back here was rather unsettling. He couldn't take his mind off of what happened before. He could never forget how the man kept pestering his son for something about 'perpetual motion', which turned out to be a fluke, according to his son. Not that it made him look at his son any less, but he had to admit, he was a little disappointed.

That did not excuse the man's behavior towards him, however. But Joe had thought that it would be rather harmless. He never thought the man would ever go this far. He didn't think that he'd resort to actually kidnapping his son.

His gut twisted when he remembered Dr. Von Doktor's words earlier. He had nearly forgotten about them, and they faded away like an old memory. Now they echoed in his head, repeating the message that Von had given to them earlier. And now, he had wished he heeded it more.

"_Oh no... We have barely...begun..._"

_Why didn't he listen_? Why didn't he take that warning more seriously? He was so tempted to just slap himself in the face. He and Mille should have reported that vile man a long time ago. As soon as that man made that rather blatant threat, they should have called the police and have him arrested. Yet they gave the man the benefit of the doubt and had assumed he was just blowing off some hot steam. _Oh how foolish they had been_...

Well now they were going to correct that. They were going to go inside his building, find his son, his friend, and Mrs. Sanchez and get them out of there. If that evil scientist had harmed them in anyway, they will make sure that they get to the hospital swiftly.

_And as for Von_... He was going to face jail for a _long_ time. If Joe could, he would make sure the man got sentenced to life in prison. After what he's done, he didn't deserve freedom. He deserved to be locked away. Especially if he had done anything to hurt the people that he cared about.

He knew Milie felt the same way. He could see it in her eyes as they continued to drive towards the building. She was antsy and nervous, and though she never spoke a word, she was wondering what happened to Rudy and if he had gotten hurt. He had done what he could to help her feel better, but he wasn't sure if it was enough. He could see his wife's tears still just barely forming. He knew that if he delivered just the wrong kind of news, that would be it. His wife's mind may shatter under the weight of emotion and she'd break down.

He wouldn't blame her if that happened. It would happen to him too, he was certain. He was doing his best to keep his emotions under control right now. But even now, that was difficult. The emotions were overflowing inside of him. It was getting worse by the second, especially with each new uncomfortable thought of what might be happening to Rudy and the others. _If that man harmed them_... His eyes narrowed.

Tilly didn't come with. She had stayed back Inez's place with Sophie. Joe wasn't really angry with her for that. She couldn't be blamed for wanting to stay with her daughter, and for not wanting her daughter to go anywhere near that vile person. Joe did not like the idea of having Sophie involved either. It was bad enough he took his son. He didn't want Sophie to come with. But they couldn't leave Sophie all _alone_ either. Yeah, it was best for Tilly to stay home with her daughter. Keep her safe in case that evil man decided to strike back.

Joe still wasn't certain exactly how to feel about Tilly's claims of a chalk world. To him, it was all just a bunch of rubbish, and he was shocked that she would even pick up on Terry's wild tales. He thought no one was stupid enough to fall for her lies and delusions. Well, he did actually think there might be one person. He just _never_ thought it would be _his wife's sister_.

The idea of sending her to a mental hospital was _rather_ tempting. He was worried that she had suffered an injury recently and that made her more likely to believe such fairy tales. It would also explain why she lost her temper with Rudy and struck him, an act that she never did before and one that still left him with boiling blood. He and his wife did agree that calling the police for that was unnecessary since she had already cleared things up with Rudy. That didn't make him any less angry with her.

But sending her to a mental hospital... That still might be a good option. His wife insisted that they didn't, since whether or not this chalk world was real wasn't important. What they should be paying more attention to was helping Rudy get out of there. Tilly starting to believe in the chalk world was of little concern at this point.

Besides, regardless of this world being real or not, apparently Von now thinks it does, and him believing in it may have driven him to dry to grab recognition, to make up for his ruined reputation which he soiled himself months ago. It didn't matter just how fake this world was, how futile it was to prove its existence. Given Von's behavior, his threat earlier, he had no doubt in his head that he would do whatever it took to gain entrance and to claim the discovery for himself.

_Even if it meant kidnapping his son_.

There was a screeching sound as the tires of his car hit against the pavement of the driveway. He turned the car around, going into the nearest parking spot. He stopped the car, applying the brakes. He and his wife immediately got out of the car and they began to walk across the dark, hard floor that made up the parking lot of Dr. Von Doktor's place.

He looked up, pulling his head back and seeing just how immense and enormous the building was. It certainly looked a lot bigger closer up. It was so foreboding to look at, especially given the current circumstances. It felt as though the building would swallow them up in some kind of hideous shadow. He ended up freezing at one point, gritting his teeth and pulling his hands together.

"Joe?"

The man looked over and saw his wife staring at him with concern. He stammered, "Oh I-I'm fine..."

"No you're not. I can see you're scared." Millie said, her eyes narrowed softly. She took a few steps towards him. Her expression softened up. "Don't worry. I am, too."

Joe looked at her sympathetically. "Yeah I know..." He sucked a deep breath as he turned his head to the side. "I never thought we'd be back here again." He looked back up at the building. Uncomfortable memories shot through his head. "I wish I didn't have to come to _this_."

"But it did. I don't want to be here, but this may be where our son is. We needed to get him back. After that..." Millie put a hand on his shoulder. "We will make sure that Von never becomes a problem again."

It felt strange to the man. The fact that it was his wife offering support in an intense, emotional situation. Usually, it was the other way around. Not that he didn't appreciate it. He was grateful for his wife's words. She was right. This may be the last time they'll ever have to set foot in this horrid building. They're here to make a rescue and as soon as that was fulfilled, they can quickly leave, go to the hospital if need be, and then call the police.

Joe swore, Von would _never_ lay a hand on his family _again_. He would see to that.

"Come on, Millie." Joe said as he turned his gaze towards the wretched building. The only thing that would make this more fitting was if there was a storm with lightning bolts striking the building. "_Let's go save our son_."

The two adults, the two parents, frowned at each other, their expressions holding the most determination they ever held before. They nodded in mutual understanding, and then they turned to glare at the building. After a few moments, they began to walk towards it, preparing themselves for whatever that man might have in store.

sss

Inez stared down at the unconscious form of Rudy laying on the ground. She watched as he was gently cradled in Penny's arms. Her daughter supported Rudy's body pretty easily, the extra muscle gained from her chores giving her a bit of a boost in strength. His body laid towards her, his shoulders touching her leg, his shoulders and head supported by her arms. Penny was stroking Rudy's face and hair gently, trying to soothe him despite the fact that he was unconscious.

Well not unconscious, but close to it. The tranquilizer given him did make him a _lot more_ docile and tired, yet he hadn't actually fallen asleep yet. At least he wasn't squirming around anymore and it was a lot easier treating him this way.

Inez had done what she could for Rudy's wound. There was little that could be done to cover it outside of using clothing pieces. She and Penny both tore off bits and pieces as was needed. She knew there was a risk of infection, but what could she do? She had little supplies to work with here, and it was either this or they just leave the wound open and raw. And she wasn't about to let that happen. That would have made things _worse_.

Despite the limitations, she still did her job and treated Rudy the best that she could. The boy did save her life. If he hadn't intervened when he did, she would have gotten _far worse_ than just chemical burns. She owed him her life. Now she was returning the favor. If she didn't do this, then Rudy might end up dying from his injuries.

At least no major blood vessels had been cut. There was bleeding, but it wasn't as much as it would have been had he gotten a major vein sliced open. Thank goodness it wasn't his aorta. That would have led to death in a _very short amount of time_.

But despite the fact that no major blood vessel was cut, that didn't mean Rudy was save. There were still several vessels sliced and there was plenty of bleeding already. It was under control for the time being. But that didn't even get into the fact that one or more of his organs may have been _pierced_. Inez wanted to check the damage more thoroughly and see what else could be done. But the equipment just was not available here. Rudy needed to go to a hospital and see if the damage was far worse than it appeared.

Then there was the infection from the nail that used to be present in the wound, the one Von yanked out cruelly. From what little she could see, the nail in Rudy was most definitely _rusted_. That alone warranted a trip to the hospital. That was going to cause some very serious infection if it wasn't treated fast enough. He might even need a shot or two, depending on what his family doctor recommended. _And what if a piece broke off and stayed stuck inside Rudy_...? The thought made her stomach lurch in nausea.

Well at least she was able to do what she could and the boy's outlook didn't seem as grim right now. He wasn't out of the woods yet, though. He was going to need a lot more help. If only they could get out of here...

That was still an uncertainty. None of them had figured out exactly how they were going to get out. They hadn't figured out any kind of weakness in his room, or any other escape method that they could use. They were still trapped like wild animals, and this realization made her blood freeze. What if they didn't get out in time? She didn't know how long Rudy had before..._before_... She didn't want to think about it.

She hoped they would find someway out of here soon. It might take a while, and it would require a lot of thinking. But she was certain there was someway to get out of here. A method that none of them thought of or were prepared for. Even if it meant going through the ventilation system, they...

_Wait...that could be it_. The woman's eyes widened in realization. Ignoring the chattering from Penny and the...zoners as she calls them, she turned her attention towards the far corner of the room. She could see a shaft covered up by a latch. A ventilation pipe that she knew was going to be part of a whole system. Maybe, if it was large enough, they might be able to squeeze through.

_But what about Rudy_? It would be difficult to move him in his condition. She didn't know how long the drug was going to work. At any moment, the boy could fully regain his senses, his mind, and he may start to freak out again. That was not something that he needed, given his wound. She thought about giving him another dosage, but that might make things worse.

No, the only way they were going to get out using the vents was if they moved now. The sooner they got a move on, the quicker they would be able to get out. It didn't matter where the vents led. So long as they landed in a room with an open door, they should be fine. It would only be a matter of time before they would find one of the doors leading to the outside. From there, they could try to find their way back to the hospital. That shouldn't be too hard. They weren't that far out, she didn't think.

She clenched her teeth as she looked down towards Rudy again. She watched as he pressed his head against Penny, looking so content thanks to the tranquilizer. She watched her daughter's worried expression as she spoke to him, and tried to strategize with her zoner pals. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, if she remembered their names right, were all arguing on a way to get out. So far, none of them came to a conclusion.

Well now was time to end that. They needed to get out of here fast. And if the ventilation system was the only way... _Then so be it_.

"Penny." Inez said as she got up from the ground. Her daughter looked up at her, falling silent as she waited for her to speak. "I think I know a way out of here, but it's going to be risky."

"I wonder if it's going to be as risky as Howdy's plan." Snap said, glaring softly at the puppet.

Howdy snarled back. "Well at least _I had a plan_!"

"_Not a very good one_!" Snap shouted.

Rapsheeba quickly got between them. "Enough, you two! We don't need this right now!" The female zoner glare at the two of them harshly, her lip curled up briefly in a snarl. "This isn't helping!" She turned her attention to Inez. "I apologize. What was your plan?"

Snap and Howdy stared at each other sadly for a moment. Then they turned their heads away from each other, folding their arms and snorted. Inez sighed. She hoped they didn't remain bitter at one another like this for long. They were going to need quite cooperation from everyone for this to work.

"I was thinking the ventilation shaft." Inez said.

"_What_?!" Snap spluttered. His eye were wide in shock. "But that was Howdy's plan! You can't be serious! Why are you taking _his_ side?!"

"Oh I am serious." Inez didn't know that Howdy and Snap were arguing about the ventilation system, but that didn't matter right now. She stared at Snap sternly and said, "It's our only shot out of here. I'm not saying it won't be risky. But it's better than staying here. Unless you want to wait around for Von to let us out, if he ever bothers to do that."

"I..." Snap's voice trailed off.

Howdy gave him a smirk. "See? _I told you_."

Snap shot a glare at him. But he remained silent. He closed his eyes, lowered his head and sighed in defeat. "All right then..." He looked up at Inez. "How do you propose we go about this?"

"I won't lie. It will most likely be hard as heck. But it's all we have." Inez looked over at the ventilation opening. "We will need some kind of stacking over there so we can get up. We will need to work together on this. But I'm sure that we can..."

"But what if it's too high?" Snap asked. He folded his arms against his chest. "Not to mention, too slippery. I mean, we zoners can get up there just fine. 2D powers and all." He moved his hand in gesture a few times. Then he motioned to Inez. "But what about you?"

"We could use our 2D powers to help them." Suggested Howdy.

"Yeah, that could work!" Rapsheeba said. "We can get on the sides of the shaft and stick out our hands to provide support. We can gradually work our way up and we can get them to the top."

"Hmm yeah..." Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That could work..."

"Yeah, but how do we go about getting him up?" Penny looked down at the sleepy Rudy's face. The boy stirred in her arms and let out a soft groan. "He might be tranquilized, but he's still going to need some help going up. We can't just drag him up like a sack of potatoes."

Rapsheeba rubbed her chin thoughtfully at this. "Well...we could see if there's any rope around here. Maybe we can find something that could help?" She suggested.

Howdy immediately zipped towards one part of the room. "I'm on it!"

"Hey! Wait for me!" Snap followed suit.

Inez watched as the two smallest zoners raced together and began to search the room for any items they could use. While they did that, she turned her attention back to Penny and Rapsheeba. "We need to talk further about how we are going to do this. You are right, Penny. We're going to need to be very careful." She looked down at Rudy sadly. "We can't afford to let Rudy bang against the walls of the vents. We can't let the wounds reopen."

Penny flinched at this and Rapsheeba looked at her worriedly. Both of them stared down at Rudy. The boy, of course, did not respond. He was unaware of what was going on and what kind of trouble he was in. Inez stared down at him sympathetically, knowing that his life wasn't out of the woods yet. There was still a lot more that needed to be done. There was still a ton of work they still had to do.

"Do any of you two have any ideas?" Inez asked, turning her gaze to Rapsheeba and Penny.

Penny frowned as she lowered her head. Inez waited, giving her daughter time to speak. She knew that look on her face. She was in deep thought. Inez trusted that her daughter would be able to come up with a response. She was a smart girl after all.

While her daughter continued to think, Inez let her mind wander a little. She wondered how they were going to stop Von. Could they simply report him and have the police arrest him? Or did that mad man have some kind of backup? If he was in ChalkZone and he could draw whatever he wanted, could he create somethign to help save his sleazy ass from prison?

She narrowed her eyes softly as she tilted her head upwards thoughtfully. They were going to need some kind of plan. They were going to need some method of proving what this man had done, and without exposing his chalk world that Penny and Rudy both seemed so fond of.

She knew the dangers of exposing ChalkZone. Not just simply for that world, but for the Real World as well. For obvious reasons, she had more worry for the Real World. The thought of monsters, unimaginable, horrifying, logic-defying monsters, coming into the Real World was just terrifying. And the idea of creating any kind of weaponry and bringing in over here... Unthinkable.

Her thoughts focused back on Dr. Von Doktor. She narrowed her eyes. She didn't know how, but she would make sure he paid for everything that he did. He would not get away with trying to kill her, kidnapping them, hurting Rudy, threatening her daughter...

"I think I figured something out." Penny said, breaking Inez from her thoughts. "I'm not sure how well it will work, though."

Inez knelt down beside her daughter. "I'm sure whatever you thought of is fine." She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Go on, tell me."

Penny hesitated for a moment. Then she said, "Okay. This is what I had in mind..."

sss

Such a pounding headache... When was it going to end? It had been going on for the past hour, ever since she woke up. It still would not go away.

Ms. Tweezer had tried whatever she could to dull the pain. She had taken some of her strongest painkillers, but they didn't seem to be doing much for her. They only worked a tiny bit; most of the pain still pounded through her head like it was a fucking drumset. She gripped her head and let out a groan. She had never gotten a headache this bad since...that day...

She didn't know how this happened. She didn't remember falling asleep on the couch, or leaving her bedroom door partially open, or anything like that. There was no sign of an intruder and nothing was stolen. The only thing that was out of place was her insufferable headache. Oh why won't it go away?

She wished she knew why the medications weren't working all that well. She wished she knew how all of this happened. She haded being in the dark, especially when it comes to herself.

Well there was nothing she could really do about it. Maybe she was just really tired today and went to bed early and just forgot. No, that didn't seem to be like her. She can't honestly recall anytime when she would be like that. Even during her...mental relapse at the hands of that boy, she never got symptoms like this. She didn't get tired and fall asleep and then just...forget. Maybe some people d that. But not her. It just wasn't something she could imagine herself doing. Some would say she was being arrogant. She would say she was just being truthful.

Well enough about that. She needed to relax her mind. Maybe that's what was causing her headache. She was just thinking a little too hard. She stretched out her arms and legs and gave a soft yawn. Maybe some television can help her out. Watching her favorite documentary might help calm her down and soothe her mind.

She could put on one of her favorite documentary marathons. She remembered watching it nonstop for a few days months ago after the incident with Rudy. She still remembered how shaken up she was. Watching the marathon did play a part in soothing her mind. The unreal may have left her mind a mess, but at least that was over and she didn't have to worry about it again.

She sat down on the couch in her living room. She leaned back against the soft piece off furniture, taking in a deep breath and sighing. She lifted up the remote and turned on the TV. She began to flip through the channels, hoping that she would find the documentary playing today.

Something caught her eye halfway through her channel surfing. She caught a glimpse of something familiar. She backtracked, reversing by a couple of channels.

It was the local news. She wasn't sure why anything on here caught her interest. She didn't watch the news too much. It was often riddled with the unreal. Exaggerated drama, even the real bits were often nonsense too. Dedicating a manhole... What rubbish.

But wait, there she saw it again. That red hair, that green outfit.. Could it be...? Yeah it was. Terry Bouffant. She remembered her from months back. Her lip curled up in a snarl as she remembered what that foul woman had tried to do. She couldn't decide which one was worse. Her or Rudy. It was bad enough that the children were spewing nonsense. But a full frown woman? Terry should be ashamed of herself.

Terry had ranted on and on about some fabled chalk world. Ms. Tweezer scoffed at the idea. This was the kind of rubbish she would imagine a rapscallion like Rudy to come up with. Not a full grown woman like Terry. She wondered if Rudy had a hand in that. Maybe he pulled some 'harmless' prank and now Terry thinks that whatever happened was real.

Ms. Tweezer would have loved to help that woman. But alas, it might be too late for Terry. Kids, she could try to save. But there was a saying. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. She could try to teach Terry all she wanted to, but her mind was already poisoned, predispositioned to the unreal. There was no hope for her now.

Something seemed...different about her today, thoug. It was then that she realized that Terry wasn't even at some manhole or with somebody off the streeth. She was in a hospital and she was... wearing a pair of dark sunglasses...?

Ms. Tweezer blinked a few times. Why was Terry wearing those glasses? Was this some kind of fashion change? Rather strange, but she wouldn't judge. At least it wasn't something unreal or out of the ordinary. But no..that didn't seem very possible. The dark glasses combined with the whole hospital schtick told her somethign else was going on. Ms. Tweezer felt her body stiffen up at the one possibility that had crossed her mind.

She had been attacked.

Ms. Tweezer clenched her teeth. She hoped that wasn't what happened. She hoped that this usually peaceful town didn't see such a horrible attack. No, it couldn't be possible. Plainsville almost never saw such serious crimes. It was quite a peaceful little town. It didn't make sense for... Why was this happening now?

She watched in stunned silence as Terry began to explain what happened to her. Ms. Tweezer's thumping mind didn't hear most of what she said. The only details that came out were the bits about her getting hurt. Being slashed on both eyes, having a chemical poured into them. She was certain that she was also explaining who did this to her, but alas, that was one of the bits that she didn't really hear. Her mind had already figured out the solution, and it was not willing to let her sway from it.

It was that boy... She was certain that he had something to do with this. She wasn't entirely sure how, and she would admit on some level it didn't make too much sense. But...what else could it be? Rudy had been in cahoots with the unreal for a long time. All children were. She knew it was just a matter of time before all that unreal stuff would drive the children insane, and then they would...

Her eyes widened in horror. Oh no.. How many children were affected by this? She hoped it was just Rudy. He could be easily apprehended. But the others... If there were any others, how would she or anyone else be able tos top them? She didn't know who else might be involved, where they were, or how dangerous they were.

Well there had to be some way. As she watched Terry recount what happened, her mind continued to echo with several thoughts, each one worse than the last one. The unreal was getting stronger, and she needed to do something about it. If she didn't, it could spread. Who knows what will happen if it did? Ms. Tweezer was horrified with the prospect of such a plague spreading through the city.

The city needed a strong-willed, down-to-earth person to lead them now. They needed someone who can discern from the unreal and what actually exists. With her knowledge, she would be able to lead everyone elset o safety. She could restore sanity before it was too late.

But she would not be able to do much just laying around here. She needed to get going now. She got up from her couch and left the living room. She immediately went to work. She hoped that she wasn't going to be too late.

sss

"Joe.._I don't like this place_..." Millie whispered softly. They hadn't walked in the building for five minutes before she had tensed up. "It just...doesn't feel _right_..."

"I know. But we've got to keep moving. We've come this far." Said Joe.

Millie knew her husband was right. They couldn't just turn away now. Not after they came all the way here to help their son. If he was in trouble, _if that evil man had taken him_... There was really _no_ choice. It was either this or they condemn their son to whatever fate the man had in store for him. True, they didn't even know if the man had taken him at all. But could they really take that chance? Where else could he be? For him and the others to just _suddenly disappear_...

Millie regretted not turning the vile man in when she had the chance. She and Joe would have had grounds to call the police after the man practically threatened their son. Yet they foolishly didn't take it. She never thought that Von would go this far. She wondered if her husband felt just as foolish.

As upset and confused as she was with Tilly, she was glad that her sister spoke up. It was her sister that alerted them to this possibility. Without her, they'd have no leads at all. Even if this turned out to be nothing, a dead end chase, at least it was something for them to work from. Tilly had also given them another possible lead, and that was Terry Bouffant, the reporter.

She had never had much of a problem with Terry in the past. She just seemed like any other reporter. At most, just annoying. She and Joe rarely had anything negative or positive to say about her, and the times they did interact, they got along mostly well.

She never thought that Terry _disliked_ her son so much. Even though Tilly was the one who told her, one of the people she'd trust so much, she wasn't sure how much she should believe this. Tilly was talking about some chalk world just like Terry did. How truthful was she being this time? And even if she were being honest, she couldn't fathom _any_ reason for Terry to hate her son. It wasn't like the boy had ever interacted with her in the past. This hatred seemed to have sprung out of nowhere.

Tilly did try to explain the best she could. She said that Rudy and Penny both knew of this chalk world and Terry knew that they had the knowledge. She had wanted them to spill the beans on it and apparently had been pestering them for a while. While Millie didn't want to think that Terry would be like this, but if she were desperate enough, was it possible that _she_ could have taken Rudy?

She shook the thought out of her head. She didn't want to end up accusing every strange person of such an act. That would not only be unwise, but it would not bring them any closer to finding Rudy. For now, they will search Dr. Von Doktor's place. Hopefully something will turn up here.

But so far, nothing. As she and her husband moved down the hallways, they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Well aside from the fact that the building was strangely unlocked. Perhaps Von just forgot? He had lost most or all of his help ever since that incident a few months ago. He still had enough money to keep the building, but that didn't mean that everything was going to be on the up and up. If he didn't forget, then the locks might be broken. Not much of a concern; there probably wasn't too much here people wanted to steal. After all, how many people would want to take something that once belonged to a madman?

Okay so maybe there were a few people like that. Still, that didn't stop her from considering that being one of the possibilities.

She stopped when her husband suddenly halted his walking. He narrowed his eyes as he looked from the left and then to the right. There was a look of concern on his face. Millie bit her lip, wondering what he might have taken notice of.

"_Do you hear that_?"

Millie took a moment to look around the hallway. All she could see were white walls and floors, a few signs on the walls. Nothing unusual. The hallway did arch to the left up ahead. She stared at it long and hard, her pupils focusing on the corners and the blocky shadows that formed on them. She looked at some of the open doors of the hallway, trying to see if any of them were moving or if there were any shadows, no matter how subtle.

But no, nothing. It was _quiet_ in here. It felt as though the whole place had been abandoned for a long time. There was little here to even suggest that Von still came here. If it weren't for the fact that she had seen him come in here before two weeks ago, she would have thought he left this place to right.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't hear anything."

Joe narrowed his eyes. "_Exactly_."

Millie blinked a few times. "What?"

Joe looked around cautiously. His body looked more tense than usual. "Where is the alarm? _Why_ didn't it go off?" He clenched his teeth, hunching his back slightly as if he were expecting some kind of death trap to spring on them at any given moment. "Did this guy have his security system disabled or something?"

Millie froze at this. She looked around the hallways again. Joe was right. The security system didn't appear to have gone off. That did seem rather strange and out of the ordinary. It didn't seem like Von to not at least have a security system in place. Well he did leave the place unlocked. Maybe he just didn't bother with a security system?

_No, that made no sense_. The security system was already in place before. Losing all his workers wouldn't make Von suddenly tear down his security system. It had to be still in place, still active. Maybe she and her husband were just lucky enough to not have tripped it? That didn't seem like it made a lot of sense, but it was the only thing she could think of. But if they simply hadn't tripped the alarm, then _how long did they have before something_...

She and her husband pressed on. Despite their newfound reservations about coming here, they still had to get a move on. They were nervous about trying to go back. What if they slipped up and they hit something to activate the alarm? What if they accidentally get themselves trapped? Von could easily sue their asses for trespassing. That would be the one advantage Von would gain from them coming here.

The longer they stayed in here, the more the atmosphere started to weigh down on them. The various smells, the smooth white walls everywhere, the familiar plaques on the walls, just everything about this place reminded them of the last time they were here. Back then, it hadn't been a problem. But now, as they snuck through the building, hoping to find any sign of their boy, this place felt as foreboding as a haunted ship.

Suddenly, as they made a turn, they slammed against something. It was solid and hard. They let out yelps of pain and stumbled back. They shook their heads and looked at what they had run into. They blinked a few times, confused. Just what was this?

_What was a wall doing here_? And why did it look so out of place compared to the rest of the hallway? It looked almost like someone had taken a silver shield and glued it in place to make it look fancier.

But this wasn't right. Millie narrowed her eyes slightly. She remembered passing by a map earlier. She might not have the exact greatest memory of the world. But she was still good enough to know that this hallway should lead somewhere, not to a dead end. A give away was how there was a curve here, and even with the shield in place, she could still see that there was a bit of an edge sticking out.

This edge protruding like that didn't make any sense architectural-wise. It was almost as if the builders were going to put in a hallway here, but got lazy and stopped for whatever reason and just hastily covered up the hole. That wasn't something she would expect any professional builder to do, however. So something else was going on. And they were going to find out what it was.

Joe walked over towards the unusual wall. He looked at it up and down. He reached over and touched it. Then he formed a fist with his hand and struck against the wall. Millie winced at the sound that it was short-lived. Joe turned to look at her.

"It's quite _hollow_." He said.

She tilted her head at this. "Hollow? Are you sure?"

Joe nodded his head. "I struck it hard enough to tell." He turned his head back towards the wall. "It looks like it slides in from the top."

Millie took a step closer. She looked up towards the ceiling. It was hard to tell, but when she turned her head at the right angle, she suddenly took notice of how there appeared to be a tiny sliver of space there. The wall wobbled slightly, further suggesting that it wasn't originally a part of the wall when it was first constructed.

But why would it be like _this_? Why would the building be designed this way? It didn't make any sense to her. She and Joe didn't notice anything like this the last time they were here. _Why would_..

Something came to her mind. Turning her attention to her husband, she said, "Do you think this is a part of his security system? Maybe he changed stuff around?"

Joe hissed at this. "I suppose it's possible. But why would the doors still be unlocked?"

Millie frowned at this, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Well, is it possible that this place is in such poor condition in some areas, that the power simply doesn't work?"

"That could be. Maybe the door we went through simply didn't have any power running it to keep it locked. Dr. Von Doktor did have those _fancy locks_, right?" Joe replied.

Millie nodded her head. "Yeah I remember them. They needed a secret code to get through. I guess Von just didn't want to spend the money on some more conventional locks."

"Yeah, seems so." Joe said.

With that question out of way, it appeared to only bring more. Several questions swirled through the woman's mind as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Why did Von get a new security system instead of using the old one? _Why_ install walls like _these? How much_ did it all _cost_ him? Did he really think that this would be a better idea as opposed to simple lock and sensor mechanisms? Just how did he think was going to break in here that they'd require thick wall shields to trap them?

One thing that she and her husband realized was that it was going to be a lot harder getting to their son now. How would they be able to find him if many of the hallways were blocked? They could still search the areas without power, but she had a feeling they would be rather small and fragmented, disconnected from one another. How would they be able to get to a new dispowered area to keep looking? What were they going to do if Rudy really was here and they couldn't reach him because of some stupid sheet of metal?

Well they weren't going to give up. Rudy needed them now more than ever. It would be wrong to just turn their backs on him now. If he was here, they needed to find him and get him out. Same with Inez and her daughter, Penny. There had to be someway that they could...

Joe's eyes were facing towards the ceiling. She noticed a particular expression on them. She frowned, tilting her head to one side. "Joe...? What is it?"

Joe simply said, "I think I know what we can do."

"_Really_? What is it?" Millie asked.

Joe responded by pointing upwards. Millie pulled her head back, her eyes tracing upwards as she followed his pointer finger. It didn't take her long before she spotted exactly what her husband had in mind.

The ventilation system.

sss

Penny couldn't believe she had been _so stupid_ earlier. Despite her mother reassuring her that they had all made the mistake, Penny still felt she should have been more vigilant. If anyone was to keep track of this stuff, she should have been the one. If she couldn't even keep track of rather important details, how was she going to help Rudy or anyone else?

She attributed to her forgetting to the chaos that was going on around her. It was hard to keep track of all the details, what with Rudy being badly hurt, several zoners being killed, being strapped to that awful machine, among other things. Her mother did say it was undersandable that they'd all forget some details. That still didn't stop her from feeling guilty, though.

She wasn't going to let that get her down, however. She was shaken, but she was still pushing herself forward. She couldn't just stay in one spot. They simply didn't have the time for that. They needed to keep moving. If they hurried, then they might be able to get out of here and have a chance at getting out.

_Provided that she remembered about the security system..._

Penny had to remind herself so she wouldn't forget again. Dr. Von Doktor had activated his security system earlier to ensure that they wouldn't be able to get out. All exits were blocked, or so Von said. Penny wasn't sure how accurate this claim was, or if he was even being truthful. There might be some areas without power. Not all this building was in tip top shape, she was certain. They just needed to find the correct path.

_But would that path even lead them to freedom_? Or would they end up in _circles_? Or would they end up in a _much worse situation_? It was possible and she knew she couldn't dismiss it entirely. That would only make things worse.

Penny did her best to focus on the task before her. She grunted as she continued to move through the ventilation system. The smell was pretty bad, worse than she imagined it would be, and the metal was so cold it felt as if it was going to burn her skin. She did her best to ignore it as she crawled through. She constantly thrusted her hands forward to pull herself through the tunnel.

Her mother was in front of her. She was leading the way. As the adult, she felt responsible for their safety, so she took charge on deciding the direction. Penny didn't try to argue. Her mom might know a thing or two about architect that she wasn't aware of.

Behind her, she could hear the sliding of her friends. After Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy had helped them up the shaft initially, they remained in their 2D forms so they could follow at a steady pace and not worry about getting in the way. Penny felt a pang of jealousy. She never thought she'd see the day that she would want to be able to turn into a flat cutout. Well at least they were able to make some progress and sticking to the pipes meant that they wouldn't fall over so easily, so at least they'd be safe if something happened.

She clenched her teeth. She hoped nothing would happen. She hoped that her mother chose the right path and that this ventilation system was stable. She didn't want to think what would happen if they fell. Rudy didn't need more injuries than he already had.

As she crawled, her knees and shins scraping along the ground, she lifted up her head and looked out towards Rudy. He was strapped on her mother's back. They had found the right material for such a job. It looked pretty crude, but it was affective and it was working.

Tying Rudy to someone was her idea. It wasn't her _best_ idea. She felt she could have come up with something even better. But for what it was, it appeared to be working. Having Rudy strapped to her mother enabled moving him without jostling him around too much. Her mother was capable of moving quite gently when she needed to, while still keeping up the speed. It also freed her mother's hands so she didn't have to hold him and try to crawl without arms. She couldn't begin to imagine how her mom would be able to pull that off.

The ventilation system had pretty high ceilings as well. Penny was surprised by their structure. This gave her mother more room to manuever and lessened the chance of Rudy getting hit even more so. Penny felt a sense of relief about this. She was worried that, even with her plan, Rudy would have gotten unnecessarily hurt. She was glad when that wasn't the case.

"How _long_ is it going to be?" Snap asked, breaking the silence. "We've been moving along here for a while. Any sign of an end?"

Penny took a moment to look left and right. All she could see was the same silvery color of the metal pipes, but no places for them to turn off into. Other than that, the only other thing she could detect was the smell being stronger in certain places. She wanted to plug her nose. Just what were these smells?

Possibly related to Von's stuff, she was sure. Chemicals, perhaps. Some might have been recently used and Von didn't bother using the ventilation system more efficiently.

"No. Sorry, Snap." Penny replied. "It's hard to see too much in here. It's not like there's any map."

"_Well there should be_!" Snap cried out. "Are you sure there weren't, you know, plans or something?"

"There might have been, but they weren't in the room, Snap. We will just have to make do with what we have right now." Penny heard her mom say.

"But there has to be _something_ that..." Snap started to say.

"Snap, she _said_ there wasn't much we can do. _So just drop it_!" Rapsheeba snapped at him. Snap stared at her in surprise. She sighed and said, "Look, Snap, I'm sorry I snapped at you like that. We just need to keep moving and..."

Penny tuned out the two zoners as her mind began to wander. She thought about what Snap said. Perhaps there was some kind of method they could use to figure out if there's any paths up here that they could take. Maybe if she could find some kind of crack, one of the zoners could slip through and search around. Then they could come back and report and then they could...

Wait, what if the zoners got lost? _Or hurt_? What if they slipped through somewhere and they end up captured by that awful man? Or gotten outside somehow and spotted by another human? They were at least human enough, but..what if someone notices something..._off_ about them?

Penny was interrupted from her thoughts when she pushed up against her mother. She let out a grunt and shook her head. She pushed herself back. She could hear the sound of the zoners stopping behind her, despite them being in their flat modes. She stared out at her mother in confusion, wondering why she had stopped like that. Did she see something of great importance?

"Mom? What is..."

"_Shhh_!" Her mother held up a hand. Penny pressed her lips together as she kept her mouth shut. Her mother turned her head from one side to the other. Her mouth was partially open, a soft frown on her face. "Do any of you hear that?"

Penny blinked a few times. She turned her head and tried to listen to whatever had caught her mother's eye, or rather, ear. But no matter how much she tried to listen, nothing was coming up. It was just...silent. Well except for her and everyone she was with, of course. So what could her mother be talking about?

"I...don't think there's anything here." Howdy said softly. "Maybe you're just..."

"I know I heard _something_!" Penny's mom hissed. Not out of anger, but out...Penny wasn't sure what emotion it was. Determination perhaps? She turned her head to the right and held it there. She narrowed her eyes further. "_Something is coming this way_..."

Penny wasn't sure what her mom could be talking about. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. She could hear breathing mostly, maybe a grunt or two. Rudy wasn't entirely quiet either, but her mom couldn't be talking about him. But...what was her mother talking about if that were the case? What had her worked up?

The way her mom's eyes looked, the expression on her face... Yeah something definitely had her mom worked up. _But what was it_? What was causing the _tension_? Why did her mom look as if she were going to tell them to run at any second?

Suddenly, Penny's body jolted when she heard a loud scrape. It irritated her ears and she lowered her head, trying to cope with it. Thankfully it was shortlived. But even after it was over, she still didn't feel much better. She quickly realized that her mother was right. There was something going on here. _There was someone else in the pipes_...

Her eyes bulged at this. "Do you think it's..._him_?" She asked her mother, her voice barely a whisper. She heard the soft gasps from the zoners behind her. She could only imagine what their expressions look like right now.

Her mother kept staring to the right. Her eyes were narrowed softly, her lips pressed against each other tightly as she was in deep thought. She narrowed her eyes a little further, giving off a soft 'hmm' sound. "I don't think so. I don't see why he would come through the ventilation system."

"He might be trying to bypass his own security system." Rapsheeba suggested.

"True, but if he set this up, then he would know the weaknesses and how to get around them. After all, what person would set up a security system if they didn't know the ins and outs of it just in case?" Penny's mom said.

Penny wasn't entirely sure of that. Von might have hastily put it together and didn't read the memo. He might not be fully aware of how to get through his own activated system, or if there was even a way.

She could see him tearing through the paper-like walls that covered up the doors, but that would only lead him into another room. She wasn't sure if there could be any kind of secret passage through the blocked off areas themselves. Maybe Von _did_ know, but how he's acted rashly so far, she wasn't going to hold out for it. She still thought it was possible that he was trying to get through using the ventilation system.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's _someone else_." Her mother's voice cut through the air. "We have to be careful. Until we find out who it is, we can't take any chances."

"Should one of us go and find out?" Snap offered. "One of us could slip through the cracks and..."

"No, it's too dangerous." Penny quickly said, cutting off her friend. She turned her head and stared over at Snap. "You might get lost, or hurt. It's better if we stick together."

"_But Penny_..." Snap stared at her, his expression softening up in worry. "If we're all together and if this person means business, what if he or she manages to trap us? It's easier to catch all of us if we're in the same spot."

"He has a point. It might be a safer bet if we send one of ourselves through any opening and try to find the source of the sound." Howdy said, nodding his head in agreement.

Rapsheeba nodded her head as well. "I'm sure we can..."

Her voice was cut off when, without warning, there was another creak. This time, unlike the other one, was from _right underneath them_. They all looked at each other in confusion, wondering what this meant. Then there was a sudden jerk, and the ground they were on suddenly became slanted. They let out a surprised cry as they struggled to keep themselves from falling.

The surprise jerk caused the three zoners to go back into their 3D forms. They laid on top of each other, groaning in pain. More creaking and more jerking, and soon they were all pushed up against each other. Penny felt pressure on her limbs and back and her arm was pulled out behind her. She couldn't keep track of who was where, who was touching her, who she was pushed up against. She gritted her teeth and struggled to get herself free. It was useless and all she could do was end up getting smooshed further against them as the structure they were on began to give way.

And then it _snapped_.

She and the others let out screams as they fell down from the pipe. They crashed against some of the internal structures of the wall, being flung from side to side. Penny yelped as she felt herself hit against something sharp, and she heard the others cry out in pain as well. Her head struck something hard, causing an ache to spread through it. She didn't have time to react to that as her shoulder hit against something. She knew it was going to bruise.

They hit against another pipe, this one breaking under their weight and allowing them to fall through. They all laid in a pile, panting heavily from their long drop. They looked at one another, smiling softly in great relief that it was all over.

But it would seem they thought too soon. The pipe they were in began to bend to the whim of their own weight. They dug their fingers against the ground as they struggled to prevent themselves from sliding. However all attempts failed miserably, and as the pipe began to tilt in a diagonal fashion, their bodies began to slide downward.

Penny clutched the pipe, ignoring the loud, annoying screech of her fingernails. She tried in vain to stop herself, her mother trying the same thing. Her ears were irritated from the screeches both their nails' produced, and it felt as though it was going to _explode_. But there was nothing she could do about that. Despite their best efforts, their attempts at stopping didn't work and they just kept rolling down the slanted pipe.

Soon, they reached the exit. Penny let out a yelp when she rolled through, a sharp tip of the pipe cutting into her. She rolled across the ground, tumbling across the floor painfully. She soon rolled to a stop, laying down on her stomach. She let out a soft groan, pushing herself onto her hands and shaking her head.

That was some _fall_. She wondered where they were now. How _far_ had they fallen? And just _where_ did they end up? As the others groaned and picked themselves up, Penny took a moment to look around, turning her head left and right.

It was difficult to see where they were. It was very dark here. She could make out some shapes, but not enough to determine their expact location. Maybe they were in the basement, or in some lower floor. They were still inside the building. That much she knew; she would recognize this smell anywhere. But the overall shape... She hadn't been here before, not even when she helped Rudy out of here a few months ago. It didn't look like any room she had been in before.

Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered about Rudy. She swiveled her head and looked down at where her mother and Rudy were. Her mother was laying on her stomach, gritting her teeth and groaning. She could see a cut on her mom's arm. Unlike her zoner friends, her mother did not escape the fall unscathed.

Rudy, thankfully, looked fine. He might have gotten hit a few times when dropping down, but other than that, he appeared to be okay. She let out a sigh of relief, smiling momentarily at Rudy before worry and concern caused replaced the expression. She knew what had to be down now.

"I'll go scout up ahead. I'll try to figure out our location." Penny said, straightening herself up, eyes remaining narrowed in determination. "I will be right back."

"Penny, are you sure that's a good idea?" Howdy asked nervously. His eyes shifted from side to side. "We can't even see anything... What if there's a trap waiting for you and..."

"I don't think Von would go through the trouble of setting up traps all over this place. The guy is _so_ cocky, he probably thought that we'd never get out." Snap said.

"Besides, this place doesn't look like it's been used much." Rapsheeba noted. "I think this is one of the places without power. An area of the building that Von doesn't even _use_."

Penny heard her mom speak up. "We should still be careful." Her mother ground as she climbed up to her feet. Thankfully the straps still held Rudy to her back. Her mother provided extra support by looping her arms around Rudy's legs. "I think Penny has the right idea, but not alone."

Penny turned to her mother. "Who do you suggest I bring with?"

Her mother's eyes swiftly turned to Snap. "Him. You two seem to have the longest history with each other." Her mother looked at her for a few seconds before turning to Snap. "Can I trust that you two will keep each other safe?"

Snap nodded his head. He offered the most confident grin that he could muster. "No worries, Penny's mom. We'll be careful!" He turned to Penny. "Won't we?"

Penny nodded once. "Yeah. We will be fine, mom. _I promise_."

"Good. Now get going. Don't stray too far. Just get as much information as we can use. We will be waiting back here for you. If we don't where from you within the hour, we will assume something happened and we will take action." Penny's mom said.

Penny and Snap nodded their heads at this. They didn't waste anymore time. After glancing at the others, and then staring sadly at Rudy's still groggy form, they took off together.


	38. Reunions

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 38: Reunions

_**Let us all come together.**_

sss

Snap kept his back hunched up slightly as he and Penny walked down the hallway. It was so dark and it was so difficult to see. The zoner kept close behind Penny, one hand on her shoulder, the other towards his chin as he looked left and right, trying to make sense of where they were in the building.

The damp smell did indicate this was a basement of some kind. Or at least, it seemed like it was. It was difficult to tell. There were no maps here and even if there were, it was way too dark to see anything.

"Buckette?" Snap asked. "Can't you draw a light or _something_?"

Penny nearly stopped in her path. "Snap, you know I can't do that in the _Real World_."

Snap felt like an idiot. Of course it wouldn't work here. "_Oh_...right..." He grinned nervously, unable to believe just how much of an idiot he had been.

Snap was not used to adventuring in the Real World, if it could even be called adventuring. He had grown used to the magic chalk's help, and often relied on Rudy and Penny to be able to draw whatever it is that they needed. He never thought he'd see the day when they would be needing to explore something without the help of the magic chalk. It was so _foreign and strange_. He might as well be with a bunch of zoners, cause it felt like that.

He wasn't really angry with Penny or anything. He couldn't blame her for the situation. Until they got into ChalkZone and they got some magic chalk, there was little that they could do when it came to getting what they needed. He hoped they would be able to find something soon.

Seeing the damp areas on the ground made him nervous. The wet places were likely the result of some old pipes starting to crack a little. There were only a couple tiny puddles on the ground and they were all up against corners. They rarely saw them. But that didn't lessen his nervousness whenever they came close to them. Snap could feel his heart beating faster everytime they passed on, and his grip on Penny would get tighter.

"Snap, _please don't do that_. You're hurting me." Penny said.

"Sorry." Snap said quickly. He relinquished his grip on her and held his hands towards himself. Teeth clenched nervously, he turned his head from right to left, his eyes sweeping the area, using whatever scrap of light was available to see whatever that he could.

The sight of the small puddles reminded him of what happened with those zoners earlier on. He shuddered as he remembered how they were all washed away, their bodies melted, burned, faded away from existence from a mere clear fluid substance. He would never forget the sight of their _melting organs_, their _distorted muscle and bones..._

To make it worse, they hadn't been the only ones who got hit. He knew the zoners fleeing must also have gotten hit as well. Unless they were lucky enough to head into the ventilation system, or got outside somehow, _they were all dead_. The mere thought of that sent cold shivers up and down his spine.

The advice from Biclops had been of little help. The zoners seemed to all but forget about it as soon as they confronted Von. Their anger and hate towards the man caused the giant's advice to slip from their minds.

_And when Helga was killed_... That just made things _even worse_.

The death of Helga, their toughest leader, had shaken the foundation of their confidence. It had sent shockwaves of horror through their bodies, and many of the zoners lost the will to fight. Seeing Helga die like that broke something inside most of them. While a few remained that tried to be brave, that wasn't enough.

Add to the fact that Arnold was also murdered, and that would have broken whatever was left of their confidence. It had reduced most of the zoners into scared, '_wild animals_' as Von would have put it, and as soon as they were given the chance, they ran off, desperately trying to save themselves.

A part of Snap felt sorry for them. He knew what it felt like to be so scared. He got a taste of that when he was trapped with Blocky and Howdy. But he knew that Howdy understood better than him. He was trapped longer. Then there was Blocky..

The poor rectangular zoner had been trapped for several days, likely not having much to eat, tormented by experiment after experiment, his mind clouded with a _shroud of pain_... If any of them understood what it felt like to be terrified, afraid, helpess, it would be him. Snap could hardly begin to imagine just what the poor zoner had felt during his stay.

But the blue and white zoner could not feel only sympathy for the zoners that fled. There was also anger there.

As much as he didn't want to blame the zoners for their own demise, a part of him just couldn't help it. The zoners had been warned how dangerous Von was, and they were still so _blinded_ by their desire to stop him that they just cast aside that logic. They should have stayed home and let him and his friends handle it. Perhaps then, they would at least still be alive.

Well there was nothing that could be done about that now. With a pang in his stomach, he knew those zoners were gone forever. Nothing would bring them back. All he could do now was focus on stopping their killer from harming more zoners. It was going to be difficult, but if it wasn't done soon, then..._what was going to happen to ChalkZone_...?

He and Penny continued to move through the hallway slowly. They took their time, the darkness preventing them from seeing many things until they were much closer. They had passed by a few rooms, but the doors were shut and stuck there, likely from rust as this portion of the building seemed more in neglect than other parts.

He and Penny thought about entering the rooms, but decided to pass it up. Finding where this led to was more important. Perhaps there was an exit somewhere. If they could at least find their way out, then they could get away from here and get help somehow.

Something soon caught Snap's eye. As they had turned with the corridor, there was a door far down that appeared to have some kind of light in it. It seemed this place had some kind of power available to it. He wasn't sure how much, though. Maybe just from a generator for all he knew.

"Do you see that, Penny?" Snap asked, his eyes focusing on the room further down. There was a dull glow there. Not very noticeable compared to, say, a brand new fluorescent light, but still visible nonetheless.

"Yeah I do." Penny whispered softly. She stopped in the middle of the hallway, staring at the light. "Do you think we should go check it out?"

Snap paused for a moment. A part of him just wanted to continue looking for an exit. If they were to just explore any random room, they might just end up in bigger trouble. Von might be in one of these rooms, if he didn't head into ChalkZone first. He might also have set up some traps just in case. If he and Penny got stuck out here, then how would they be able to tell the others?

Then again, these rooms might contain items that they could use for their escape. This room might have something that they could possibly need. And if that's the case, then perhaps it was worth the chance to check it out and see. Just a quick look wouldn't hurt, _right_?

"Yeah, it might have something that can help us." Snap said as he started to cautiously walk forward.

Penny followed suit. "Just be careful, Snap. Don't just go around touching _anything_."

Snap smirked at this. "Don't worry. I won't."

The two friends headed towards the open door slowly. They took their time, just in case Von got crazy with booby traps here. They were careful to watch out for lasers and pressure points. So far, they didn't find anything, but they were still on the alert just in case.

Soon they reached the room. They stared inside. They didn't see anything that looked like a trap. But they _weren't_ stupid. They would still treat this room with the utmost caution. They looked at each other and frowned, nodding their heads to send silent messages to one another. They then looked back towards the room. Slowly, they began to enter it.

The room appeared to be some kind of lab. _Another one_. Not that it surprised Snap or Penny. They both assumed that this place would have several labs, considering what it was used for. It looked similar to the room that they had been locked up in, save for a few changes, such as a distinct lack of that chair.

There appeared to be a large chalkboard in this room. The smudge marks and dust that collected on the board indicated very recent use. Maybe a few days at most. There were some symbols on the board, but Snap could not make heads or tails of it.

Penny, however, could. At least a little. "This is some kind of formula..." Penny whispered softly. She stood in front of the board, her eyes scanning it up and down. "I bet Von was trying to figure something out. Perhaps perpetual motion. _None_ of this data looks like what would be associated with chalk."

Snap replied, "I still can't believe that he remained obsessed with perpetual motion for _all this time_. You'd think he would have moved onto _better_ things."

Penny nodded her head. Then she turned her head to do a quick, visual sweep of the area. "Let's look around for a little bit. Maybe we might find something. But be careful."

"Careful is my middle name!" Snap said with a grin.

"Of course." Penny said before she began to look around. Snap glared softly at her for a few seconds, unsure if she was being serious or not. He then looked away and he began to look as well.

The room didn't seem to have much that was interesting to them. Von appeared to have cleaned this room out. Well _mostly_. A few items remained, but none that they could use for an escape, and certainly no maps or anything regarding the building itself or a security system. Snap guessed that Von decided to change rooms after he found out about zoners. It certainly did seem like this place was abandoned swiftly.

Snap dropped down onto his knees and began to look around. He turned his head from right to left, looking for any items that may have fallen down. Paper, tools, anything. But no, there was nothing. Just the coldness of the ground, some dust, not much else.

There weren't too many things to look at here, and it didn't take long before he and Penny searched most of them. They had even checked for the possibility of a back exit in the room. A fire escape of some sort. No, nothing like that here. This room was just a dead end, a waste of time. The only thing they learned from here was that Von was really a _nutcase_ about writing formulas for perpetual motion. Perhaps it was time for them to leave and...

_Wait, what is this_? What was that over here, sitting in the cabinet?

Snap noticed something familiar about the object. It was hard to tell what it was at first. It was obscured by the shadows, and yet, there was still something about it that seemed so...familiar. Curious, ignoring Penny's questioning statements, he walked over.

His eyes were glued on the object as he approached. Even as he got closer, it didn't seem to get any clearer for him. His eyes trailed up and down, looking for any kind of clue as to why this object was so familiar to him. It was box-shaped..kind of. It stretched out and he saw some other structure to it. It didn't seem to remarkably stand out, but..._oh why did it seem so familiar to him_? Just _what was it_ about it that caught his attention?

"Snap? _What is it_?" Penny asked as she walked over to where her friend stood. "What do you see?"

Snap shook his head and shrugged his shoulder. "I'm not sure, Buckette. But..." He pointed his rounded hand at the cabinet. "Isn't there something familiar about that thing in there?"

Penny turned her head to look. "What is? Oh you mean that square-ish thing?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yeah. Doesn't it seem to ring a bell?"

Penny stared at him for a moment and then turned her attention back to the object. She reached forward and grabbed onto the doors of the cabinet. She attempted to open it, but the doors would not budge. "Hmm...it's locked."

"Allow me."

Snap never did this before, but it was worth a shot. He saw it in movies before. Maybe it would work? He reached his hand gainst the cabinet. Concentrating hard, he was able to turn just that portion of him flat, and in went his 2D hand and arm. He stretched it in as far as he could go and soon he found the lock. He began to pick at it, trying to grasp the..whatever they were called, and repositioning them for it to be unlocked.

Soon, much to his surprise, there was a click. His eyes widened slightly. It had _worked_? He turned to Penny. She looked as shock as he did. A few seconds later, he smiled broadly. Well of course it worked. Why did he ever have any doubts that it wouldn't?

"You're welcome!" Snap cried triumphantly as he pulled his hand out. "Please, _no_ pictures!"

Penny gave him a quick, playful push. "Cut it out, Snap. This is serious."

"I know." Snap said, still smiling at her. That smile soon faded as a look of contemplation came over him. He looked at the object that had been stored in the room. "What do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure." Penny opened up the door and began to reach for the object in side. "But maybe if we pull it out and...oh!" Suddenly Penny froze, her hand positioned only about half way to the target. Her eyes widened in shock. "_D-Did he..._?"

Snap looked up at his friend worriedly, biting his lip. "P-Penny...? Are you okay? _What's going on_...?"

Penny withdrew her hand from the cabinet. She stared at the object long and hard. Then she turned to face Snap, taking in a few slow breaths, as if she were trying to clear her mind and figure out what to say. The longer she stared at him like this, the more his heart clenched. Just what did she see?

"Snap..." Penny whispered. "I-It's that device Rudy drew on that day. The machine that made bobble-headed yous." She paused for a moment. Then she said, "_The one that he was convinced was capable of perpetual motion_."

Snap gasped at this, taking a step back. "_What_...?"

They didn't get a chance to finish their thoughts when a loud clamor caught their attention. They swiftly turned their heads. Their hearts nearly froze in their chests when they saw a shadow forming on the wall. They turned around to face the door and they took a few steps back.

Snap couldn't believe it. Did Von know that they would be coming here? Did they fall for one of his traps? Did they just come here at the wrong time?

Regardless of the reason, that didn't change what was going on right now. Von was coming into the room and they had no place to hide. There wasn't anywhere in this room that was sufficient enough to hide the two of them. He gritted his teeth, his body tensing up for the inevitable fight. He turned to look at Penny, and he saw just how scared she was. He then turned his attention back to the door and took a few steps forward.

"Snap, _what are you doing_?" Penny whispered softly.

Snap didn't answer her. He continued to move forward until he positioned himself in front of Penny. If that creepazoid wanted Penny, he'd have to go through _him_ first. The only way that the man was going to have any access to her was if he went through his dead body. He didn't want to die but if it came to that, if it meant buying some time for her, then he was prepared for it.

The tall shadow began to grow shorter, indicating that the man was getting closer. It didn't seem like he was carrying anything at first. But then another shadow emerged. It was so close to the first shadow, and _so long_... _Was it a gun_?

The thought sent chills through Snap's body. He never thought that the man would go as far as trying to shoot them. His body trembled at the thought. All it would take was one shot of that gun to him or Penny and the situation would rapidly become _much worse_ than it had been before. He hoped he was mistaken, and that it was something else entirely. Maybe a broom or something.

He still stood his ground, not moving further away from Penny. When the shadows got even closer, and he began to see the shapes more distinctly, knowing what they were about to arrive in the room, he spread out his arms, waiting for the man to come in and try to make his move. He was not going to make things easy for him.

Then the figure arrived in the room. Snap tensed his body up, his adrenaline fully prepared for an attack. Unable to hold it back any longer, he began to rush forward, letting out a yell.

"_Snap! Stop_!"

The sudden shout from Penny wasn't what stopped Snap. He skidded to a stop and stared out in shock when he saw not Von, but _Rudy's parents_ walking in.

He hunched his body forward, his arms dangling down, as he stared at the two shocked adults, just as surprised as they were. Many questions ran through his mind. Just _how_ did they get here? _Where_ did they come from? And _why_ were they covered in dirt?

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie stared down at the blue and white zoner in shock. They were silent for several moments, their eyes filled with so much shock, Snap thought they would burst open. He took a small step backwards as he watched them. Uncertain of what to expect, he kept his eyes on them. He had no idea how they were going to react to meeting a zoner.

Mrs. Tabootie was the one who spoke first. "_Snap..._? But I...I thought you were just a..."

"We thought you were a creation of Rudy's." Mr. Tabootie finished, his voice soft, filled with so much shock. He raised a finger and pointed it at Snap. "Did Rudy base the character off of you?"

Snap shook his head. "No, I'm the _real deal_." Snap clenched his teeth tightly, realizing what a mistake it may have been to say that. He could just feel Penny's glare on him.

"_How is that_..." Mrs. Tabootie started to say, overwhelmed in emotion. Then she stopped and turned her head. "_Penny...? Are you okay_? Where is Rudy? Where's your mother?"

Penny didn't answer right away. She just stared at Mrs. Tabootie, still clearly rearing from the shock of running into her so fast. She stared at Snap, as if she thought that he would have any answers. All Snap could do was shrug and look back at the adults. The questions that bombarded their heads made it difficult for either of them to formulate words.

Mr. Tabootie appeared to understand. He gently nudged his wife and spoke softly to her. Snap and Penny couldn't understand what was being said, but they guessed that he was discussing something with his wife. He then looked back at them, giving an apologetic expression.

"We're sorry if we surprised you so much. We're...rather surprised as well." Mr. Tabootie rubbed the back of his head. "We weren't expecting to see you guys here..." He backtracked. "Well in this spot."

"Neither were we." Snap managed to say. He licked his lips and swallowed hard. A cold thought came to his head. "You...weren't _captured_, were you?"

Mr. Tabootie shook his head. "No, we came here."

Penny took a step forward. "How did you get in?"

Mr. Tabootie said, "Through one of the doors. It was still open."

Penny's eyes widened slightly at this, and then she swiveled her head towards Snap. "Did you hear that Snap? One of the doors is still open. _We can get out_!"

"Yeah, but.._where is it_?" Snap held his hand out in gesture. And just how did you get here?"

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie looked at one another, and then back at them. All their expressions held the desire to gain more information, to answer confusing questions, but also to share information as well. They had some catching up to do so they could all fully understand the situation that they were in.

Snap hoped that the two adults were able to find something that could help them. An open door was nice, but if there was no path to get there, it was useless. Still, this was a chance at possible freedom, and if they can help, that would bring them a step closer to stopping Von.

But first, so much confusion had to be taken care of and gotten out of the way. Things needed to be straightened out first. Hopefully they will be able to do that very quickly. They didn't have all the time in the world.

"Well you see... It all started when..." Mr. Tabootie began to tell his story.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor felt a rush of energy surge through him. He couldn't wipe the smile from his face. Everything that had happened lately... It just filled him with a sense of accomplishment. He couldn't help but suck in a deep breath and releasing a loud, content-filled sigh. Today had just been marvelous. _Better_ than he had expected.

For him anyway. He imagined that his '_guests_' felt differently. Both the ones he trapped in the Real World and Blocky, whom he now had tied down on a surgical table that he drew. Yeah, they were definitely not enjoying this. But he didn't care. It was all about him, after all. _Not them_.

He wondered if they were going to escape. He had made sure that they couldn't, but there might have been a flaw or two that he had overlooked. Well if that were the case, well, not much he can do about it now. Besides, even if they were to get out, they wouldn't know where to find him here, and they would not be able to sneak in either. These walls, he drew them to be one-way, allowing him to see out but no one in. That would make it much harder for them to try to get in without him noticing.

He turned his attention back to Blocky. The small zoner was squirming against the binds, ignoring the pain that he was in. Normally, he would want to try to settle him down. Before, he didn't want Blocky too badly hurt as he wanted to experiment on him. However, with that restriction removed, it no longer mattered to him. He can make his own test subjects now. Blocky was not needed anymore. It didn't matter if he died.

But Blocky still had a purpose to him. _A use_. If he really wanted to, he could perform a dissection here, or a vivisection. He could run tests on Blocky, and any future test subject, that he was unable to in the Real World. He would be able to learn their bodies on a _much deeper level_.

There was a tingle sensation in his chest as he felt so excited. No one had ever done this before. No one had ever studied chalk animals like this. _He was the first_. It was so lucky when a scientist got to study a new animal. He felt like the luckiest of all. How much chance did he have to get the opportunity to study a new species made out of material that no one had ever thought possible for a living creature? Oh he was going to be _famous_!

He could feel his heart thumping with excited desire. He had come to close to obtaining his dignity back and the thought of him gaining so much more was just irresistable. He couldn't wait to see the looks on those scientists' faces. They will rue the day that they made fun of him. Everyone would be sorry.

But enough about the petty stuff. He will have his revenge soon. Right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand. He still had a lot more studying to do, and he had his test subject all strapped down and ready to go. His smile broadened as he stared down at Blocky.

As the zoner shivered and whimpered in fright, he began to think of what he should do. What should be the first test to try? Should he test a chemical reaction on him? Should he cut him open to get a glimpse of how his insides look? Should he force feed him some kind of poison?

"P-Please...don't do this... I-I beg of you..." Blocky whimpered as he stared up at the man in fear. "Please...why does it have to be this way? Why can't you use an x-ray machine or something?"

Von smirked at this. He turned his head to one side. "Well I could. But zorry.. It'z juzt not _good_ enough for me. I need a more..._perzonal_ view for myzelf. I'd get more data out zat way."

Blocky began to struggle harder against his binds. He let out a few yelps of pain as his attempts were in vain. Even as he clearly was losing strength, he still struggled, trying to break himself free and get away. Von couldn't help but smile at this. It was incredible how much energy he still had despite what he had gone through. Maybe he will discover the secrets of that through his cutting up the zoner. Maybe it can be applied to humans somehow.

"_No_! Come on! Let me g-g-go! _Please_!" Blocky wailed. He pulled harder on his legs, the small shins banging against the metal cuffs that held him down. "There _has_ to be _another way_! Please!"

"Oh why don't you juzt zettle down, Blocky? I hadn't even begun yet." Von began to circle Blocky. His mind ran with different thoughts of what he could do. There was so much he could try and it was so hard to choose just one. "Juzt zink of all the benefitz you may bring to zoziety. Zink of how much zings will improve. Izn't that worz _zomezing_?"

Blocky did not reply. He merely let out a scream as he kept pulling on his limbs. Adrenaline was really kicking in how. If he had a heart monitor hooked up to him, he'd imagine the zoner's heart would be racing, pounding against his chest.

The man continued, holding up his hand in gesture. "I can juzt zee it now. Maybe I could make a profit off of zelling your meat."

"_No_!" Blocky cried in horror.

"I know it won't do anyzing, but zome culturez do believe that eating animal partz helpz zem heal from dizeazez and zuch. Who knowz?" Von's eyes gleamed as he stared down at the frightened zoner. "Maybe zome of them will zink that zoner meat can help zem out. I'm sure many people will flock to purchaze ground or powdered zoner. Wiz what you guyz are made of, zat shouldn't be _too hard_ to make."

Blocky tried to shake his head in protest. The metal bar across his forehead prevented that. "_No! Please_!"

Von chuckled as he watched the zoner squirm. It was almost comical to him how the zoner still tried to escape, despite his condition and his predicament. Did he still really think that he can get away that easily? Did he really think that he would be able to break his binds if he just struggled hard enough?

He decided to leave the zoner alone for the time being. He still hadn't figured out exactly what he wanted to do with Blocky, and some of the experiments he thought of doing couldn't be performed on him, partly due to his injuries. He needed a fresh subject. One that has been untouched. At this, his smile spread further. _Yes_..he knew _exactly_ what he could do while he tried to figure out what will be done to Blocky.

Without saying a word, he turned and left the zoner alone. He ignored the zoner's confused cries as he headed down the hallway. There were more rooms in this place. He didn't design it with just one. He had a feeling he might need some other areas, and this was one of those times that proved that.

The place was structured similiar to the building he had in the Real World, only much smaller. He had only made a few rooms because this was simply an experiment. He would need to test a few subjects out first before he expanded on something _bigger_.

It didn't take him too long to reach his destination. There was a room on the far end of the hallway. He turned into it and walked inside. He immediately shut the door behind him. Despite the fact that he didn't expect anyone to find him, he locked the door anyway.

The room looked similiar to the room where he had tried to test out his perpetual motion ideas. Only this room would, later on anyway, have more supplies and more tables. This was to be one of his major dissection and vivisection rooms. Soon, the shelves will be stocked full of different chemicals and jars and needles and scalpels. It was going to be _incredible_.

He walked up to one of the tables. He noticed the super strong straps he had drawn. Designed to hold down tons of weight, it should make it easy for him to subdue his test subjects. _Especially_ if he drew them first. He could prevent them from being too strong, ensuring that they would remain subdued.

He pulled out what remained of the magic chalk. He frowned slightly. He had used up so much of it. Oh well, there was still enough for him to do what he wanted. Gripping it tightly, he began to draw.

Lines rapidly filled the air, twisting around, forming a distinct shape in the area. He added a sharp turn here and there, then a swirl and soon he was finished. As soon as he stopped, color filled in the empty void, and flesh materialized in an instant, just like the building and everything else had. He was fascinated by how similiar the process was, and just how quickly and easily he had practically given _birth_.

Here, standing before him, was a brand new zoner. One that he had created. This realization gave him a sense of power over this particular life form. This zoner, which looked like a cross between a zebra and a peacock, was his property. He was free to do whatever he wanted with this zoner.

And he knew just what he wanted to do.

"Hello there. It's nice to meet you." The zoner said in greeting. He bent down on one hoof and bowed to him. "I'm so glad to meet my creator."

Dr. Von Doktor flinched slightly at this. The zoner spoke like... Well it was hard to explain. Almost like a child and a foreigner strung together. There was emphasis put on the wrong words at the wrong time. Was this what happened when he didn't concentrate hard enough on the personality and behavior of the zoner?

Oh well, this will have to do. After all, he did not create this zoner to study his vocalization and grammar. No, he had something much more..._interesting_ in mind for him.

Von grabbed onto the zoner's arm and tugged him. "Come on." He spread his hand out towards the table. "Please..._take a seat_."

The zoner stared down quizzically at the table. He tilted his head to one side. "What is this for?"

"Oh it'z a game." Von said with a smile on his face. "A game of knowledge. And _you're_ going to help me get it."

The zoner stared at Von for a few seconds. Von wondered if the zoner understood what he meant and if he was going to try to get away. Instead of looking horrified, the zoner looked excited, an energy rushing through him as if he were just a little child. Well he was new to the world after all.

"Really? When do we get started?" The zoner asked, his voice high-pitched and energetic.

"Climb into zee table and you will zee." Von said. He again motioned to the table, this time with more force, indicating to the zoner exactly what he wanted.

The zoner nodded his head. "Okay, creator. Sure, I'll do it!" Immediately the zoner climbed into the table. With a motion from Von, he turned himself onto his back, spreading out his arms and legs as if he were about to make a snow angel. "How's this, creator?"

"_Perfect_." Von said. With a snap of his finger, the cuffs activated. The zoner let out a yelp as the cuffs strapped in him down. A few more appeared, holding down his body and his head. "Zank you for your cooperation."

The zoner began to struggle. A nervous smile spread across his face. "Creator? This...this is kind of _tight_..." He gave a quick chuckle as he stared up at Von. "Is this part of the game?"

Von's smile grew twisted. "_Yez, it iz_."

The zoner's face paled at the sight of this. It was almost amusing to see this child-like zoner experience fear for the first time. If the zoner thought this was bad, the true fun had not yet begun.

"B-But...creator... I-I thought we were going to have some fun together..." The zoner whimpered, sounding so much like a frightened little child.

Von chuckled at this. "Oh we are. I plan on having _zo much fun wiz you_." He leaned forward, putting his faced close to the zoner's. "Now I would appreciate it if you _didn't_ zcream. Ziz will go more zmoozly if you didn't diztract me." Von quickly began to sketch.

"B-But I..."

The zoner was silenced when Von drew a muzzle and slipped it over his mouth. He tightened the straps and buckled them down, securing it against the zoner's face. This prevented the zoner from talking or screaming. The only thing that he could do was whimper and whine.

The zoner tried to shake his head in a vain attempt to get free. After a few times, he appeared to realize it was futile and he fell almost limp against the table. His chest rose and fell rapidly and he looked up at Von with wide, innocent and frightened looking eyes. There was a strong question of 'why' in them. The zoner reminded him so much of Blocky.

Well..it was time to get started.

"Juzt cloze your eyes, little one. It will be over before you know it." Von cooed to the scared creation of his. A short while later, the room was filled with the muffled cries of his test subject.

sss

Joe was still surprised by what had happened. He certainly wasn't expecting _this_ turn of events when he and his wife explored around this area. He was so confused and a part of him hadn't fully recovered from the shock.

It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see Penny. It was just...he didn't think she'd be out over here. He and his wife thought this part of the building was abandoned. He didn't think that Von would use any part of this area, and would have instead focused on the areas that looked more functional. That seemed to make the most sense to the man.

He and his wife had traveled through the ventilation system, which hadn't exactly been a real joy. It was dirty in a few places, and some areas were rusted and sharp. Going across them was tricky and dangerous. They had to be extra careful as they moved through the vents. It was a little roomier than he thought it would be at least, so it made it a tad easier. He wasn't sure just how long he and Millie had been traversing through the metal tunnels. It could have been anywhere between just several minutes to an hour.

After a while, they did discovery a hole in the elevated tunnels that they could not cross. Evidence of neglect from Von. They had no choice but to get out. They both climbed down from the vents, which wasn't easy, with the jagged opening and moist ground there and such. But working together, they did manage to get down and then they were able to explore around a little and see where they were.

He and his wife were convinced that the area was left abandoned by Dr. Von Doktor, so they searched around unhindered, not expecting any kind of trap from the man, or being worried about getting caught.

When they came over to this room, they had realized there was someone there. They thought they could hear voices, and they were immediately put on edge. They had glanced at one another, and asked each other just what was happening. They both thought that perhaps it was Von or Terry. Who _else_ could it have been? They knew of no one else who could be likely culprits to have taken their son.

They approached the door, prepared for a fight. Joe had taken position in front of his wife. His eyes had narrowed when they got closer. Their bodies remained tense, expecting Von or Terry to jump out at any given moment. Although they were both afraid, they were also both very determined to save their son from this...this _madman_.

But when they had turned the corner and they got to see just who it was that was here, they were both taken aback, neither of them expecting Penny to be there, staring them in shock.

Penny wasn't alone. There was some else with her. A blue and white figure that had rushed towards them, only stopping when he seemed to realize they weren't who wanted. When the person stopped, he and his wife were taken aback when they saw that it was _Snap, Rudy's star in his comic_. His appearance filled them with so many questions, especially after Snap asserted that he _was_ real.

He and his wife had liked Rudy's work, and he recalled how popular Madcap Snap was. He never would have dreamed that Snap would be real, though. He thought that Snap was just a made up character. To see him standing before them, it was hard to take in. They both began to wonder if it was just a really good costume or something.

But the shock of seeing Snap being real was pushed in the back of his head when he realized that they really needed to catch up. To better understand their situation, they needed to exchange knowledge with each other and tell one another just how they gotten to this point.

Joe and Millie had told their story first. They did their best to explain everything, from how worried they were that Rudy hadn't come back, how they tried to contact Penny's mom, going to her house and finding them all missing. During the explanation, Penny looked a little guilty, confusing the two adults. They weren't sure why Penny felt so bad. Maybe she was just guilty for contributing to them worrying; she was missing, too.

Penny and Snap both looked horrified when they brought up ChalkZone and the silly story Rudy's aunt Tilly said about it. Joe was confused by their responses, _and the way they looked at them_... He had glanced over at his wife and she didn't have any idea of what to make of it. Their reaction made it seem as though..._they had learned something they shouldn't have_...

But..it couldn't be true, right? ChalkZone couldn't possibly be real. Tilly was just a little crazy, perhaps watching Terry too much. There was no way that such a world could exist. It violated too many laws of physics. It was.._impossible...right_...?

But Penny and Snap's expressions suggested otherwise. These expressions held no deception, and they couldn't be mistaken for anything else except shock and worry about their discovery.

He and his wife had gone silent for a few moments upon seeing their expressions. They had looked at one another, both exchanging a look of confusion with each other. He and Millie then continued their story, moving on from the subject of ChalkZone. They told the two about how they had found a way in and how they had been searching through the building to find any evidence of Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez being held captive here.

And their hunch appeared to be correct, considering Penny's presence here, and how she and Snap seemed defensive in the first split second they had shown up in the room. Snap's reaction suggested that they had been waiting for a fight, and he knew it couldn't possibly have been with him or his wife.

Now it was time for Penny and Snap to tell their story.

"We told our story. Now it's _your_ turn." Joe said sternly, folding his arms against his chest. There's several unanswered questions that he and his wife really needed to know. "Tell us, how did you get here?"

Penny and Snap looked at one another. Joe and Millie stared at them expectantly, not making a move to rush them. It was clear they had a lot to say, and they would need a little time to organize their thoughts. Joe hoped that some of the stuff they would say would reveal whatever happened to their son and just what Von was up to.

Speaking of Von, he wondered where he was. Joe turned his head from left to right and repeated this once. He didn't see any sign of Von in here, and he and his wife didn't even hear him or find any signs that he was here. While he expected that in this more abandoned area, why was the parking lot devoid of any cars except his own? Where was Von? Was he even here? Was he hiding from them? He tensed up, prepared for a confrontation with him.

He turned his attention back to Penny and Snap. Hopefully, they can answer that question. Right now, he didn't care if Snap was a chalk creature or not. He didn't care about the chalk world. That, as amazing as it sounded, was irrelevent at the moment. What mattered more now was finding Rudy and their friend, Inez.

"We'll have to tell you later." Snap said at last. Joe and Millie stared at the little guy in shock. "We don't have _time_ right now."

"We had time to tell you what happened." Millie said, narrowing her eyes as she held out her hand in gesture. "What do you mean you can't tell us your story? How isn't there enough time?"

"Is Von up to something?" Joe said, interjecting. "Is he doing something _really horrible_ right now?"

"Look we'll tell you all later." Snap waved his hands out in front of him. "Right now, we need to..."

"No, _you_ listen here!" Joe glared at the chalk creature. He didn't care if he was Rudy's creation at the moment. He didn't have the authority to tell them when they'd get the information. They were going to get it now. "Millie and I are worried sick about Rudy and Inez! And if _you're_ not going to tell us, then..."

"It's not like _that_ at all!" Snap cringed away from the man, grinning nervously. "It's just that..."

Joe narrowed his eyes dangerousy as Millie folded her arms against her chest. "It's just what?" Snap was quiet and after several moments, Joe said, "What's with you, Snap? _Don't you even care_?"

Snap's eyes widened at this. He frowned as though he had said some great insult. "Of course I do! Don't you dare say such a thing!"

Millie growled. "Then why aren't you..."

"Because we _really don't_ have time! We need to head to the hospital!"

This caused the two adults to freeze. They stared over at Penny in shock. _The hospital_? Was someone hurt? They looked at Penny's arm and they felt their hearts skip a beat when they saw that she had several puncture marks in her right arm. They stared at this for several moments before looking back at Penny. They took in a few quick breaths, finding it hard to speak at first.

"_Penny_..." Millie was the first of the two to regain her voice. "_What happened to you..._? Did _Von_ do _this_?"

Penny looked at her arm. She then nodded her head. "Well yes, but I'm not the one who needs the most help."

Joe felt hesitant to ask. But he knew there was very little choice. He and his wife, they both needed to know. "_Who...who is it..._?"

Penny and Snap looked at one another. They then looked back at them. Joe and Millie felt their hearts start to race when they saw the looks in their eyes. Their faces held gazes of utter sympathy. After a few seconds, Penny was the one who responded.

"It's Rudy." Penny whispered softly. Joe and Millie gasped in horror at this, putting their hands to their mouths as their eyes widened. "He's _hurt_."

Joe took in a deep, sharp breath, his mind swirling with thoughts. He could hear his wife gasp in horror. They looked towards each other, both exchanging looks of horror with each other. Hearing the news confirming that their son was injured caused them both to freeze, making it hard for either of them to say something, or even move. Their heads ran with many questions.

_What happened to their son_? How _bad_ was it? Did _Von_ do it? Did someone or something _else_ do it? How long would he be in the hospital? Was the wound _fatal_? Had they gotten here in time or were they too late to do much to help him?

Joe finally found the strength to turn his head and looked back towards Penny and Snap. He breathed in and out slowly, his eyes moving from left to right. Then he said, "_What..happened to him_...?"

Snap narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Dr. Von Doktor _impaled_ him, _the bastard_..." The chalk creature's voice was filled with venom.

Millie took a step back, tears forming in her eyes. "He's been _what_?!"

Joe, his eyes wide with alarm, took a step forward swiftly. "_Where is he now_?!"

Penny quickly mothered with her arm. "He's over this way. My mom and two other zoners are looking after him."

Joe and Millie didn't bother with asking what the term 'zoner' was, or trying to remember if they heard the word before. Right now, their only focus was getting to Rudy. They immediately followed Penny and Snap as they led them down the hallway to where Rudy apparently was being kept.

They were both grateful that Inez was with him and looking after him. That helped to drive away some of their worries. But it didn't help them to fully relax. How could they when that evil, vile man had impaled him? The thought sent chills up and down their spines. Their minds filled with all kinds of horrific images at that thought.

The fact that he was impaled was horrifying enough, but there was still the matter of what he was impaled with and where. They both knew that there were all kinds of complications that could.._no..would_ arise from this. They could only hope that the object in question missed all or most of his more important body stuff. And that wasn't getting into the _infections_ and whether or not this could affect him for the rest of his life.

The two parents pushed those thoughts aside. They could speculate more once they had seen Rudy and could assess for themselves what was necessary. The group of four disappeared down the hallway, towards where Rudy, Inez, and more of those zoners awaited.

Joe formed a fist as they went down, his thoughts growing dark. If Von did anything that horrible to Rudy, if his son was going to be _permanently crippled_ because of _this_...

...well he hoped the man had _really good_ insurance.

sss

Rudy let out a soft groan. He tried to open up one eye, but found that he could not. He never felt so weak in his life. Just.._what had happened ot him_? Why did he feel this way? Why did his mind feel so muggy and tired?

He would have tried to figure this out if he didn't feel so tired and sleepy. A part of him just wanted to go right back to sleep. He wanted to close his eyes and allow the darkness to overtake him again, bringing him back to that peaceful slumber he had been in earlier. He didn't remember how long he had been out, a short time or a much longer time, but he hardly registered any concern with that. _Right now, sleep_...

He felt himself being moved around. He could feel something underneath his body, and he could have sworn he was suddenly floating. He looked around to figure out what was going on. But his vision, it was so blurred, he could hardly make anything out. He struggled to try to make any sense of the blurred mess of colors and shadows all around him, but nothing worked.

Normally, if he were more awake, he'd be worried, panicked, something. He wouldn't just lay here and act as if all was right with the world. Right now, however, he hardly had any care about what was going on. Being lifted up by, as far as he could tell, was air felt...nice. Yes, nice was the word he'd use. Very calming and relaxing. Then he began to move through the air, which felt even better. It reminded him of the car rides with his parents. He remembered on long ones, how he would just fall asleep in the care, the movement along the road just so relaxing, especially on sunny days.

Rudy could feel his eyelids grow heavy. He wasn't sure how long he could stay awake. Not much longer, he knew. He had a feeling that, within a few moments, he would pass out, returning to the slumber that he had so desired for.

He did stop for a moment to look around him, trying once more to at least figure out where he was. He could start to recognize some shapes and at least tell there were people around. They seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite identify them yet. He noticed some white dots of fuzzy blobs, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say that they were looking right at him.

Then one large fuzzy thing filled his vision. Pale peach color with yellow mixed into it. Compared to the other shapes, this one was _large_ and...either muscular or just hefty. He wasn't sure which. His eyes flickered when he saw more peach coming towards him, and for a split second, he wondered if he should move.

Then, seconds later, he felt something against his cheek. He jolted in surprise, not expecting the blob to touch him. He thought about jerking himself away, _but...no..._ This felt _nice_. He let out a soft sigh and pressed his head against the thing. He could feel it moving along his cheek, caressing it gently. Yeah, he liked this. He wanted it to do more. Then the thing moved up to his head, and he could feel his scalp come alive with pleasure. Slowly he shut his eyes and leaned even further against the blob, letting out a sigh of contentment. He didn't care if he had no idea who or what this blob was. All he wanted was for it to continue, for a lack of a better term, petting him.

But sadly, it didn't last very long. When the thing withdrew, Rudy let out a frustrated groan. He opened up his eyes again, staring towards the blobs, giving them all a longing look. Won't one of them touch him like that again? _Please_...?

Then after a while, he started to get his vision back. Well more of it anyway. Not all, but enough that he could now start to make out details. He stared up at the blob that touched him, and he started to see the face. He tilted his head to one side, his eyes frowning in confusion.

"_M-Mom_...?" He whispered softly.

The blob responded, but the voice was so distorted and echoey that he wasn't sure what to make of it. He was certain that she at least said his name, and possibly how he was.

Although he had no way of knowing for certain, Rudy still replied to what he percieved to be his mother's question. "I'm...fine.. _Tired_... Just want to _sleep_..." He began to close his eyes.

He was stirred when his mother, or was it his father, shook him. He let out a groan, but did not open his eyes. He shook his shoulder to one side, jerking himself free of their grasp. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see his parents. It was just...he was too tired. His head ached from the lack of sleep, or too much there of. He needed to rest.

His eyes shut completely, and he curled up into a small ball on the ground. He thought he felt something nick him in his stomach, but he was so out of it, he didn't really notice.

"_Sleep time...good... Sleep_..." Rudy mumbled under his breath as he closed his eyes completely. It didn't take long for the voices to rapidly fade away, and he was overcome by the darkness. Yes, all he needed was some more nice, peaceful sleep.

sss

"_Rudy! Wake up! Please_!" Millie called out to her son. No..this couldn't be happening. Not her little boy. _No_...

But no matter how hard she shook him, Rudy wasn't waking up. He just remained still, unmoving. She refused to give up at first, and she kept trying. But soon she had to face reality. Slowly her shaking stopped and she stared down at her completely still son. Reality sank in, weighing down on her shoulders.

Her son had..._passed out_. Succumbed to whatever internal bleeding was going on. The only thing that kept her heart from shattering into tiny pieces was the fact that his chest still rose and fell, albeit shakingly.

Despite the bloody spot on his chest, still visible despite the bandages, there was no expression of pain in the boy's eyes. It was just so...peaceful. The look of it made the large woman shudder. It was such a contrast, seeing such a bad wound and seeing her son look so peaceful. He was even smiling, something she didn't expect him to do if he was in so much pain. She wanted to lift him up and hold him in her arms, but she did not want to make things worse.

She looked over solemnly at her husband. He looked over at her sympathetically, reaching out and touching her shoulder. It took all of Millie's strength not to pull her husband into a big hug and cry into his shoulder. She kept telling herself that everything will be okay. They just need to get out of here and get Rudy to a hospital.

Inez had told them what she could, about Von's actions. Each thing she had listed made the woman and her husband feel more and more hatred towards the vile man. Neither of them thought he'd go this far, do something this horrible. _Him trying to murder Inez, experimenting on Penny, and impaling Rudy_... He crossed the line three times over. Well they would make sure that he didn't get a fourth chance with them.

And then there was his torture of these..._zoners_... Millie wasn't sure how sad she should feel for them. She wasn't sure how to take them or view them. But regardless, even she felt a pang of disgust when she learned how this Blocky character was treated. If he was sentient, then shouldn't he have been treated with some amount of dignity?

But for the moment, she couldn't concern herself with the zoners. Her son was more important right now. She knelt down beside him and stroked his hair gently. She wished that he would wake up. Him sleeping made her very nervous and she kept fearing he would not wake up again, despite reassurances from the others.

Seeing her son like this was just horrible. She and her husband had a feeling something might have happened. But..neither of them thought it would...be something like _this_.

Their son had been impaled through the stomach, right below his ribcage. It did not pierce his aorta at least, but there was likely other things it ripped through. The fact that the man had ripped out the rusty nail horrified them, as that would have caused extra damage on its way out. _And rusted_... Millie found herself imagining all kinds of diseases that would come from the rust of the nail. She did her best to try to remain calm, but..how could she with all of _this_?

But...at least the worst of it appeared to be over. Rudy's wound was bandaged up and she and Joe were here. They knew a way out and they could take him through there. They could get their son to a hospital where he can be treated.

And after that, they could take care of Von. They could report to the police what they had found out and this place will be searched. She was confident that the police would be able to find evidence linking the man to the kidnappings. Then there was no doubt in her mind that the man would be locked away for a very long time. There was no doubt about that.

"There...this should do it." Inez said, cutting through the silence. She took a few steps back, staring at her handiwork. "It's not the best, but it should help you carry Rudy out just fine. Just be very, very careful. He may have suffered more damage than we thought."

Joe nodded his head. "Thank you. We..can't tell you how much we really appreciate this."

Inez smiled at them. "Don't worry about it. Just concentrate on getting him to the hospital."

"And don't forget, we will be helping you." The zoner named Rapsheeba said. The other two, Howdy and Snap, smiled and nodded in confirmation at this. "Rudy is our friend and we will do whatever we can to help."

"Me too." Howdy said.

"Rudy is my creator. I'd _never_ abandon him." Snap said.

Penny took a step forward. "Working together, we should be able to pull this off. We can get out of this wretched place and get Rudy the help that he so desperately needs."

"Then we take care of that _creepazoid_." Snap snarled, slamming a fist against his palm.

Penny glared down at him. "Only after we secure Rudy's safety."

"I know." Snap said as he looked up at her. "Come on, we better get going."

"Agreed." Penny said.

Millie didn't attempt to say anything. Neither did her husband. Now wasn't the time for discussions. Now was the time to help Rudy. She watched as Inez and her daughter carried the item over towards them. The item in question was a roughly made man-powered transporter. Well whatever it was. She had seen them before, but the name of them evaded her for the moment. The vet lowered it towards the ground and motioned to the parents to put Rudy in it.

She and Joe were as careful as they could. They gently lifted Rudy into the air, Joe holding his front and her his legs. They did their best not to move his body around too much, keeping him as still as possible. As they carried him over, Millie couldn't help but stare at his face. He might look peaceful _now_, but her heart twisted when she realized that, once the drug completely wears off, he was not going to be so relaxed anymore.

They lowered Rudy down onto the transporter. There wasn't any straps, so carrying him was going to be difficult. Especially going through the ventilation shaft, which they had no choice but to do. At least they had more help this time, but that still didn't make the task any less daunting.

Working with her husband, they hoisted Rudy up into the air. They steadied him as best as they could. They then turned their attention to the others.

"It's this way." Joe said.

Without saying another word, they all headed down the hallway. Millie still wasn't sure exactly how they were going to handle the ventilation system issue, but she was certain they'd figure something out on the way there. Only time will tell.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor took a step back and smirked as he looked at his handiwork. This experiment turned out _better_ than he had thought. Other than it took longer than he hoped. Oh well. The important thing was it was a success. He had wanted to see the anatomy of a zoner and he finally got to do just that.

It was a little difficult with his creation squirming around, whimpering like a little baby. The muzzle did little to completely mute him. The zoner thrashed around wildly. If the muzzle were off, he was certain that he would have tried to bite him. The straps, though thick, almost appeared ot nearly break as the zoner struggled violently to get free. Perhaps he had made him too strong or the straps too weak. He will have to fix that later.

At least right now, it was nice and quiet. He stared down at the unconscious form of his creation. Well sort of unconscious. He was still breathing, but there was no way he was going to survive for long after this. He was definitely dying, on his last legs. Even if he were to get to a hospital now, there was no way he'd live.

And the experiment wasn't even done yet. He was maybe half way through. There was still so much more he wanted to do. So much he wanted to know. He had learned a great deal already, but he knew there was more to learn, more that he should be excited for. He couldn't wait.

He looked down at the tray filled with sharp instruments. Most of them had bleed on them. Most of them had been used to cut open this zoner's body, allowing him to see his insides. Quite _fascinating_, they were. He had removed a couple non-vital organs for further steady. He had made sure to use clothespins to stop major bleeding. He wanted his victim alive for however long he could make him last. It was a way to test endurance and see how much a zoner can take before even assistance won't help them anymore.

He let out a sigh of disappointment when he saw that most of the sharp tools had dulled. He was going to need to draw some more. He didn't have a lot of magic chalk left and he needed to conserve them. Perhaps he could figure out where he could find more. Blocky might know. He smiled. Yes, the little run would tell him exactly what he wanted to know. But first, he needed to finish his exploratory vivisection. He turned his attention back to his strapped down creation.

The zoner had all but stopped struggling. The only movements that he made were some faint, shaky breathing and he saw a twitch or two. The zoner's eyes were partially open, but they were glassy and unseeing. His nostrils flared wildly as he struggled to breathe, each breath signalling just how much pain and agony that he was in. A quick look at his body made it easy to tell just what caused this expression.

The zoner's chest and stomach were completely open. The skin was stretched and pinned at the sides and the sternum was cut in the middle and opened up. The abdomen wall had been sliced and stretched apart. The internal organs were exposed, _in plain sight_. And it wasn't just that. One leg and one arm had been skinned, and some of the exposed muscle was cut up. The scalp had also been partially removed, letting him see the bare skull of his creation. He was going to wait until he died before he would do anything with the brain.

As to be expected with something like this, there was blood everywhere. He did his best to keep it clean. He didn't want the heavy stench of blood to distract him from his work. No, he certainly wasn't interested in that.

He stared down at the dying zoner. He listened to his pitiful breathing, the way his gasps of air sounded raspy, like someone was trying to scrape against something. It was a rather _pitiful_ sight, causing him to narrow his eyes deeply. Despite the fact that he knew that zoners could always be redrawn and that death didn't matter to them, he still felt some pang of sympathy for him.

After all, he was simply a child. Well, child-like. The zoner was clearly an adult, but he had a child-like mind to him. Everything had been brand new and he was ready to explore the world. Yet he had been born only to die a short time later. His _only_ experience in life was _pain and agony_. He felt almost sorry for the little guy.

_Oh why should he care_? It didn't matter. The zoner wasn't really suffering as much as it looked. He needed to remind himself of the immortality these zoners surely had. One death would be like the nine lives with cats thing. They can just be redrawn like nothing happened.

_But_..would it really be right to keep the zoner alive for the rest of the experiment? He would just be depriving himself of going in much further. He really wanted to look at that brain and there was also the heart and lungs he wanted to look at as well. Besides, the zoner was going to die soon anyway. Why not just speed up the process?

Von took one of the scalpels and he pressed it against the zoner's neck. He pierced it with ease, despite the dulling tip. The zoner was so weak, he barely gave out a whimper as the knife pierced his flesh. The eyes looked up at him, trying to see him but failing. Von froze for a second, feeling another pang. He shook his head, gritting his teeth as he sliced the zoner's neck open with a quick flick of his wrist.

The blood gushed out quickly, dripping down the table and over the side. He had made sure to slice both major blood vessels located in the neck, allowing for the quickest death. The zoner gave a few small twitches, a few small death throes, and then just passed away. The eyes closed and his head turned to the side. The still chest and the fact that he could see his heart wasn't beating anymore told the scientist that he was dead.

It wasn't much of a show. The zoner had died rather unspectacularly. A part of him couldn't help but be disappointed. He had hoped for something more..._satisfying_ than _that_. Oh well, it didn't really matter that much. Time to continue cutting the zoner up.

As he proceeded to use the saw to cut into the skull to expose the brain, his thoughts wandered a little. He started to think of what zoner he should draw next, and what he should do with it. Chemical testing perhaps? Yeah, that sounds really good. After he studied this body a little more, he would have more data to work with. Then he really could experiment with all kinds of chemicals and see how they interact with the zoners.

Soon the saw cutting was finished, and he could feel the skull plate wobbling slightly in his hand. He lifted it up and gently set it on the bloodied table. He stared down, taking in the sight.

_There was the zoner's brain_.

It was pretty large, with a lot of grey matter and wrinkles. It looked similar to a human brain, except a different shape and slightly smaller. It was pretty impressive overall. Picking up the sharpest scalpel he had left, he proceeded to remove the brain from its boney casing for further study.


	39. Determinations

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 39: Determinations

_**Take action. Take lead.**_

sss

Outside.

Fresh air.

_Freedom_.

Penny never thought she'd feel so happy to see the road and the sky and buildings again. She couldn't remember how long she had been trapped in that wretche building with Dr. Von Doktor. She couldn't tell if it had only been a day or several hours.

But that didn't matter to her right now. The fact that she was out at all was cause for internal celebration. A part of her just wanted to jump up and down with joy, to embrace her friends and her mother as they were finally free from the building. It had been a lot of hard work and at some points, she or one of the others thought about giving up. Thankfully, that was only brief and they still managed to get out.

They had gone through the ventilation system, following the Tabooties through the path that they had come from. It was tricky pulling it off. Moving Rudy was the hardest thing. Despite there being some room, that was often still not enough in some cases. The act of turning around was an absolute nightmare and it required moving Rudy around a little at least twice. At least Rudy was asleep and couldn't feel _too_ much.

The jouney through the ventilation system didn't last too long, thankfully. Not as long as Penny thought it was going to be. They had soon exited the ventilation systems and entered into the hallway that Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie had been walking through before. It took a little time, but they did soon remember what this area looked like and which way they had come from. They all followed down the hallway.

Before they knew it, they had reached the exit. The sight of those unlocked doors made Penny's chest swell up in excitement. She couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. So much of her core just wanted to get up and rush towards those doors and jump out and kiss the ground. She had been worried that she would never be able to set foot under the sky again. She was glad that she was wrong.

But they weren't out of the woods yet. They still needed to get Rudy out of here. That part, however, shouldn't be to difficult. He just needed to be secured in the back of the car and his parents could take him to the hospital. The sooner he gets those wounds treated, the better.

Penny needed a trip herself. She looked down at her wrist, wincing at the punctures in her arm. She knew for a fact this was not the only thing that needed to be looked at.

"Are you ready to go, Penny?" She heard her mom ask. She looked up at her. "The Tabooties have kindly offered us a ride."

Penny winced as she looked up and down at her mother. The chemical burns, though actually mild for what they could have been, looked horrible. She had a feeling there might have been some internal damage as well. She wasn't sure how long her mother was stuck down in that wretched hole, and even her mom couldn't really give an accurate time. The only reason she survived was because Rudy managed to get her out.

Penny felt a rush of gratefulness towards Rudy when she remembered that bit. She didn't know what she would have done if something worse happened to her mom. The thought of her almost dying because of some chemical the evil man pumped in there was rather unsettling.

Her mother definitely needed to go to the hospital. She needed to be checked out to ensure that the damage wasn't too far spread and could be managed. Her mom didn't _dare_ do a _self-diagnosis_; it was best to let someone whose field of specialty is specifically with humans.

"Well, I.."

Penny stopped herself and thought for a moment. She was going to tell her mom 'yes', but now she was having second thoughts. Perhaps now wasn't a good time for her to leave. _No, definitely not_...

The zoners were still here. They might be able to go with them to the hospital, but that may not be the best idea. Something could happen and they might get hurt. Then there was the fact that she had no idea how long they would even be there. What if something happened and it took much longer? How well would they fair being stuck in the Real World for many hours _without_ food _or_ water?

And then there was the matter of something else that was almost forgotten, but still really important. She remembered that Rudy's chalkboard, the one with the portal on it, was still located in the building.

_This_...did _not_ bode very well for ChalkZone. With that portal open, Von could go into ChalkZone at any time. They needed to get it back before he...

_Wait...did it even matter anymore..._? Dr. Von Doktor had a piece of magic chalk. He could get into ChalkZone. And he was determined to figure out exactly how it worked. He might try studying it much further and create his own magic chalk. Then nothing they do would keep him out. At least...nothing that wasn't on the more extreme end.

Penny shuddered at the thought of taking a life. That was one route she never wanted to take and hope she wouldn't have to. But a part of her, deep inside of her, reminded her that if things get really hairy and if she were boxed into a corner, extreme tactics like that might be their only chance.

Hopefully, it would never ever have to come to that.

She was about to draw a portal for the zoners when she realized that she did not have the magic chalk. Dr. Von Doktor had taken that away from her earlier. This meant she was going to have to go home before she can do anything for the zoners. But how would she be able to do that? The hospital was much closer. Would the Tabooties even consider driving all the way to her place _just_ to drop her off, when her mother was also in need of help?

Well, there was that open portal that was still in Dr. Von Doktor's place... Perhaps she could... But would that be the best idea? Would she be able to get there without getting caught?

There was only one way to find out.

"I need to head back into the building." Penny said. Upon seeing their confused expressions, she turned her head and looked towards the entrance that they had come out of. "_The portal is still in there_."

"Sweetie, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go in there alone." She heard her mother say. "Don't you think it would be best if we..."

"I won't be alone. My friends will be with me." Penny said. She motioned towards the zoners as they came up towards her. They stood by her and smiled at her mother reassuringly. "I'll be fine."

Her mother frowned at this. "No offense, but..what _good_ are _they_ going to do you?"

Penny narrowed her eyes at this. She took a step forward, shooting a look at Snap to make sure he didn't say anything. "Listen, mom, these are my _friends_. I _care_ about them. I don't want to see them suffer. They do not belong here in the Real World. I want to get them home, where they'll be safe. I can't bring them with me to the hospital. And what about _Von_? If he's allowed to keep the portal, then who knows what will happen?"

Penny could feel a cold shudder go down her spine as she thought about all the trouble that Von could cause the longer he's in ChalkZone, the longer he still had access to the place. ChalkZone had always been a rather peaceful place. That would all change if Von succeeds and spreads the knowledge around. Even just _local_ would be enough to cause _massive_ damage to that world.

Yet that expression her mother was giving her..._the frown, the glare..._ Would her mother even begin to understand this? She did accept their help before, and she had even admitted at one point that she didn't want to see them hurt. But had she only said that because of the situation? Now that they were no longer trapped, was she going to turn her back on her own words and let prejudice take over?

She hoped not. She didn't want to struggle against her own mother, and they were wasting time. Her mom should be going to the car so they could leave to the hospital. She needn't worry about her. She would be fine. She could do this. She wished her mom would have more faith in her.

"Please just leave." Penny begged her mother. Her voice was a soft whisper. She could feel herself grow more desperate when the woman simply glared down at her, raising one eye brow in uncertainty. "Mom, you _need_ to go the hospital more than _I_ do. Why don't you just leave with them?" She turned her gaze momentarily towards the Tabootie's car. She watched as the smoke chugged out from the pipe. After setting Rudy in the car and climbing in, they had been waiting for a few minutes for her mother to hop in. "They're waiting for you."

Her mother bit her lip. "I know but..." She sucked in a breath. "I don't know if I can leave you, Penny. You're my daughter. And I know that you trust these..._things_..." She gave a sideways glance to Snap, Howdy, and Rapsheeba, ignoring the glares she got from them. "But how do I know they can protect you if the time came? I don't know them that well. Despite your reassurances, I just...can't feel comfortable with you going off alone with _them_." She straightened herself up. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I should..."

"_No_!" Penny cried. "_You need to go to the hospital_!" Penny realized she had spoken a little too loud and she did her best to calm herself down. She took in a deep breath and sighed. "Look..just..please.._go to the hospital, mom_. I'll be all right. Let me help my friends. Please...they..."

Her mother frowned again. "I'm not saying they don't need help, but Penny... Can't they stay for a while longer? Can't they come with? We can deal with Von later." Penny shook her head. "Yeah, you're right. That wouldn't make much sense. How about we call the police on the way to the hospital? Would that make you feel better?"

"But mom! _The portal_! We can't just _leave it there_!" Penny cried.

"I'm sure it will be fine." Her mother said.

"What if someone else finds it?" Penny asked.

Her mother stared at her for a few moments. Then she shrugged. "I don't think anyone will find it. The police will just..."

"They'll search the whole place! One of them is bound to find that portal! Mom, don't you know what will _happen_?!" Penny cried. She took in a few ragged breaths. She ignored the looks she got from her friends as she glared at her mother. "Do you think they will just shrug it off? _No! They won't_! They will take the portal and then we will have a _whole new problem_!"

Her mother stared at her, shocked by the volume of her voice. Penny continued to glare at her, unsure of why her mom was suddenly being uncooperative. She was certain that her mother would be understanding. She seemed so back in the building. _Had she been wrong_?

The zoners looked at each other nervously. They looked as if they wanted to say something, but one glance from her was enough to keep them quiet. Penny felt a pang of guilt when she did this, but the full impact of her actions didn't quite hit her yet. She was more concerned of trying to get her mother to understand than what her friends thought of her at the time. _Oh why won't her mother listen_?

Snap took a step forward. He ignored her glare as he turned his attention to her mother. "Ma'am, I understand how you must feel. Your daughter staying here, looking for a portal to a world you know little about, or even care about." He held his hand out in gesture. "But you can trust her. Rudy and Penny had done a lot of things in ChalkZone and they had always been fine. She and Rudy are both quite capable children, and you would be amazed at what they had been able to pull off."

"Yeah, like the time that she stopped a taffy flood that trapped a lot of zoners." Rapsheeba pointed out.

"Oh yeah that's right!" Howdy said, a smile spreading across his face. "I believe Snap told me about it. Penny had worked out a clever solution after so many failures. She saved not only the zoners, but _Rudy_, too."

"But only after I flew into my bedroom and got in trouble..." Penny mumbled, feeling embarrassed about that incident. Why didn't she come up with a better lie that didn't result in nearly making everything worse?

Her mom's eyes widened at this. "_What_?" She looked at Penny. "Penny, is that the real reason that you knocked down all your books and paper?" She took a step towards her. "You.._weren't_ doing an experiment?"

The tone of her mother's voice made Penny feel as though she had just made another mistake. She wanted to slap herself in the face. Well, there was nothing she could do about it now, and all she could do was nod in response. "Yes, mama. Rudy, Snap, and I were trying to save the zoners from perishing in the taffy, and then they got stuck and I was the only one who could help."

Her mother stared at her for a moment. Then her expression softened up slightly. Penny could have sworn she saw a hint of regret in her mother's eyes. "Oh Penny... Why didn't you tell me? I would have..."

"I just couldn't. Besides, I can't fault you. You were just stressed out at the time and I..." Penny's voice trailed off as she looked over at the car. Even though it had only been a couple minutes, that was a few minutes wasted that could have been spent getting Rudy and her mom to the hospital. She turned to face her mom and made a motion with her hand to shoe her away. "_Just go_. I'll be fine."

Her mother still appeared reluctant. It was clear that she wasn't going to just leave her daughter here alone that easily. But there just wasn't enough time. Penny wasn't sure if she could convince her mom to let her be here alone. _And with all the time they were wasting_...

Her friends did attempt to convince her. She listened to them as they made their testimonials, doing their best to assure her mother that she would be fine and be safe with them. But no matter what they said, she wasn't budging. Normally, her mother would be more cooperative, but now that it was personal, now that her own daughter was involved in a risky mission, her emotions had gotten the better of her, and she was refusing to leave.

"We're telling you, _she will be fine_! Please, try to have some faith in your daughter!" Rapsheeba pleaded.

"Yeah, Penny is quite capable! She won't let that old creepazoid catch her again!" Snap said. He motioned towards himself. "And she will have us. She won't have anything to worry about."

Her mother shook her head. "That's _not_ exactly reassuring. You're all still _kids_, aren't you? Besides, weren't you guys captured, too?"

"That doesn't mean..." Howdy started to say. The arguing continued on, and it didn't seem like there was going to be an end in sight.

Penny realized there was only one option left. While her mother and the zoners argued, she walked over towards the Tabooties' car. She took position beside the driver's door and peered inside. She waved her hand to signal to Mr. Tabootie. He saw her and he rolled down his window.

"What's taking _so_ long?" Mr. Tabootie said. He didn't sound annoyed or angry. More just confused. "I told her that you guys can come with us and she didn't answer."

"Change of plans." Penny said. "Mom and I will remain here for now."

Mrs. Tabootie gasped at this. "What?" She put a hand to her mouth. "Are you _sure_?"

Mr. Tabootie looked just as worried. "Yeah..what if something..."

"I understand the risks. And I insist on it. I need grab that portal and get it away from Von, and I need to get my friends back into ChalkZone." Penny's voice tinged on desperation. She stared at the two adults intently. "Please just take Rudy to the hospital. He needs help now."

"And you?" Mr. Tabootie asked. "How will you get your mom to the hospital if..."

"I can just use ChalkZone as a gateway. I can easily navigate there after we're down with Von. We'll be fine." Penny reassured them.

"Well...okay.. I'm still not so sure about this." Mr. Tabootie said, gritting his teeth. "But you're right. Rudy needs help and we've wasted enough time as it is."

"Just...be careful, Penny. We wish you the best of luck." Mrs. Tabootie said.

Penny smiled at the two. "Thanks." As Mr. Tabootie turned the keys in the ignition, she waved her hand slowly. "Goodbye, and good luck." No more words were spoken as Mr. Tabootie backed up and drove off into the distance. Only when the car disappared completely did she turn her attention back to where her mom was still arguing with the zoners.

The sound of tire screeching caused her mom and the zoners to freeze and stop what they were doing. Her mom straightened her previously hunched back and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes grew big when she saw that the car was speeding away. She was flabbergasted and stared at Penny with wide, unblinking eyes.

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy looked just as shocked as well. They looked at one another, trying to figure out what had just happened. They turned back to Penny. Unlike her mom, the zoners weren't completely speechless. Snap took a step in front of his friends and held his hands out at his sides in confusion.

"Buckette, _why_ are they leaving without your mother?" Snap asked.

"I thought they were supposed to take her to the hospital, too." Rapsheeba said as she found her voice.

Penny nodded her head. "Well we don't have time to waste. We need to get that portal back, and if my mom isn't going to let me and if we are just going to keep arguing, then..." Penny narrowed her eyes in determination. She didn't care if her mother was the present adult. She _herself_ was taking charge. "We are going back in that building and find that portal! And you..." She looked over at her mom. "_You're coming with us_!"

Her mom spluttered at this. "Penny..."

Not willing to stand around any longer, she began to head back towards the building. She turned to her friends and made a swing of her head. "Come on. Let's get going!"

The zoners nodded their heads. Without having to say another word, Penny was swiftly joined by her friends. She smiled at them. She was glad that they supported her and were willing to listen to her. She looked back towards her mom, noticing that she was still standing there. She felt a pang in her chest. The idea of her mother not supporting her, despite being her mother, was rather upsetting. But if she chose to stay there, she guessed she couldn't stop her.

"Mom, you can either come with us or you can wait out here." Penny said. "It's your choice. Me and my friends are going in." After that, she said not a word as she continued her approach towards the building.

"_Penny! Get back here_!" Her mother cried. "Stop this instant, young lady!"

Penny knew the kind of trouble she may get herself into by disobeying her mother. But right now, she didn't care. She had given her mom a chance to get to the hospital and she chose instead to argue and be uncooperative. If she wanted to stand out there and be frustrated, well she was a grown woman and she could do that.

Not that she didn't feel guilty about it. She did. Her mom was hurt and she also needed hospitalization. But she was only ten. She couldn't force her mother to go. Pushing would be utterly useless. And she was aware of how worse things might get if Von wasn't stopped, if that portal wasn't taken care of. She had no other choice.

"Come back! Stop! _Please_!"

Penny felt a sharp sting in her chest at those words. Her mother was growing more desperate. She wanted to look back behind her, but she did not. She could not let herself be slowed down. Even as the cries grew more and more desperate, she still pressed on.

She hoped that, in the end, her mother would realize her mistake and come with her. She hoped her mother would try to believe in her and trust her decision. She can take her to the hospital if she would just listen and come with her. But still, all she could hear was her mother trying to stop her, and she could imagine that she was holding her hand out towards her. Penny ignored her as she and her friends continued on.

Then they opened up the door and the zoners went inside. Penny paused for a moment. She looked over her shoulder and stared at her mom. She gritted her teeth when she saw just how desperate she looked, her eyes wide and slightly watery. Penny closed her eyes and lowered her head. Then, turning her back to her mother again, she went into the building.

sss

Inez stood outside of the building, staring up ahead in shock. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Her own daughter had just..._left_ her. Just went inside the building and left her alone. This wasn't an act of malice or anything. The expression on her face suggested other wise. But it still hurt. Her daughter just..._refused_ to listen to her. _Why didn't she listen_?

_Then again_...she wasn't doing a good job with listening to her own daughter either. She had been holding up everyone, arguing with the zoners, delaying time for Rudy to be taken to the hospital... She felt a pang of guilt as she thought of how badly she had slowed them all down. And all because she couldn't stand the thought of leaving her daughter here with people she hardly knew.

It wasn't hard for her to understand why she did it. She was her mother after all, and she wanted to make sure she was okay. They had a nasty encounter with that horrible man, who had kidnapped them and hooked his daughter up to a machine as part of an experiment. She didn't want that to happen again. She wanted to bring her with where she would be safe from that guy. And going with those zoners, back into that horrible building they had worked _so hard_ to escape from... That just didn't seem to be a very practical idea.

Still, she did wish that she had cooled it a bit and tried to listen to her daughter more. She wished that she had been more consciencious about how much time she was wasting for them, for Rudy and his parents. Yet she had remained quite stubborn. No wonder Penny finally had enough and took charge.

Having her own daughter give her orders was rather unexpected. These were real orders, too. Not like incidents like the concert, where Penny was just in a hurry and wanted to get going. No, she had flat out told her what to do, as if _she_ was the one in charge. To say that this surprised her would be an understatement.

A part of her felt proud for her daughter. Penny was a really smart girl and she didn't doubt that she had some leadership, take charge qualities to her. She didn't doubt that her daughter could be really competent when she needed to be. There was good reason why she trusted Penny with helping her around the animals. She was usually very reliable, with only a few incidents here or there. But none of that made her regret having her daughter around for help.

But another part of her was confused and uncertain. Maybe if her daughter was older, like in her early twenty's, she would have thought nothing of it. _But for her ten year old daughter to be telling her this_...it just felt so strange. A part of her almost felt betrayed, as if Penny had lost faith in her and decided to do things her way instead of looking to her for help.

She bit her lip as she thought about that. It was almost like losing a child to college. It all happened to fast. She looked out towards the door and she could have sworn she saw a brief glimpse of Penny standing right there, with her diploma and everything. She shook her head and the image faded, but the thought still remained. She did her best to push it aside.

Despite the fact that she felt hurt, she still could not really feel all that angry at her, or the zoners. She couldn't complain about them taking Penny away. It was clear she did this on her own. This was something that she herself had wanted to do. Inez had no right to try to push the blame on the zoners, to blame them for this, and she knew that. Besides, what did the zoners do? All they were being were...well..._friends_ to Penny. That's it. How could she be angry at them for that?

And besides, even though she didn't really hint it during her talk with Penny, she did know, on some level, how dangerous it was to keep the portal there. She had just been in such a hurry to get out of this place that she just pushed it off to the side without thinking. She could understand why Penny would leave to go fetch the portal, and why she would want to bring her friends to safety. She did care about them after all, and the woman did know that it would have been far more cruel to force the zoners to remain longer in this world than it was to help them to get back home.

Perhaps she should have just heeded what her daughter said and left when she asked her to. She had a feeling she would have saved quite a bit of time if she had just done that. Instead, she had wasted time for everyone and she had delayed the help that Rudy needed. She had deprived herself of help as well, choosing to fight with the zoners instead of leaving to the hospital.

_Well now was enough of that_. She could not change what she had done, but she could still try to make things better. It was not too late to still take action. She looked towards the door, glaring softly at it. Her daughter wouldn't have gone too far. She could still catch up.

The woman realized that she hadn't been giving her daughter enough credit in this instance. She knew what she was capable of. She knew how intelligent and mature and competent she was. She proved that time and again with her chores with the animals. She regretted not paying attention to that more sooner.

_Well, now was the time to change that_.

She took in a deep breath and sighed. No more wasting time. No more doubting her daughter. No more arguing with the zoners. Just action. She walked towards the door and she opened it up. She shut it behind her. She stared down the hallway, seeing shadows in the distance. She picked up the pace and rushed forward.

sss

"Rudy come home?" Sophie asked.

"No, dear. He won't be home for a while." Tilly looked down at her daughter sadly. "I'll tell you as soon as I'm sure, okay?"

Sophie stared up at her mother, her eyes wide and filled with so much confusion. Tilly felt her heart break as she looked at how sad her daughter seemed. She wished she could be more reassuring to her daughter. She wished she could say something to take all her fears away. But what could she say? She had nothing, _except_ the truth.

That didn't stop her from trying to be at least a little reassuring. She placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder and smiled at her. "It will be all right. I promise. He'll come back soon. You will see."

Sophie didn't look entirely convinced. For a little girl, she did seem to have some unexpected intelligence to her, and had a better outlook on the world than most would expect for someone her age. She still acted like the typical two year old, but she did seem aware of what was going on around her. And right now, she was aware that Rudy and the others were in trouble. Her behavior strongly suggested this.

Tilly wanted to try to help her daughter be as happy as possible. She didn't want Sophie to be depressed over this. She didn't want her to just sit around and mope. It wasn't that she didn't want Sophie to miss Rudy. Obviously she really cared about him and naturally she would miss him. It was just that... _she was the parent_. She was the one who should do most of the worrying. Sophie shouldn't be forced to endure that heavy, negative emotion. She should be free to relax and have fun and let mommy do all the work.

Well life wasn't always like that. Life had a way of surprising people. Just like how it took her by surprise lately, with this _chalk world, striking_ Rudy out of anger, to the _fight_ between Rudy and Penny, _and that crazy guy and the kidnapping_... Everything these past several days had turned their lives topsy turvy. She knew for a fact that nothing would be the same after this.

For the time being, all she really could do was sit around in Inez's household and wait. She could not leave her daughter alone. As much as she wanted to leave and go help them, she did not want to leave her daughter here all on her own. She had no idea if she would be able to get a babysitter at this time, so fast. She also didn't want to bring her into danger. The last thing she'd ever want was to see Sophie being..._who knows what_ by Dr. Von Doktor.

So for now, they stay put here. She waited near the phone, hoping to get a call from Joe or Millie whenever they had any news. She didn't know if she would ever get a call, if they would just burst through the door and tell her in her face. But, despite all the urges to leave, she remained near the phone on the hopes that it would ring and she would hear her sister's voice or Joe's voice on the other end, hopefully saying they rescued Rudy and the others.

She did feel a pang of guilt as she thought about what she had done. She had given out information that Rudy told her to keep secret. She had _broken_ the promise and told his folks everything, all under some pretense that she could not remember. The only thing she remembered was that she thought she had no choice and she thought it was the only thing she could do. She realized later that this was not the case and that she could have done something else, but now it was too late for that. Rudy's parents know.

She wondered how Rudy was going to think of her later on once Joe and Millie speak to him about that world. They were going to bring it up, she was certain. Even if they thought it was just a joke, and speak to him as if it doesn't really matter, Rudy was still going to find out that she had broken a promise to him. He was not going to be happy with her.

Rudy was going to feel exactly what she felt when she found out about the chalk world and how Rudy had kept it a secret. He was going to feel hurt and enraged. And she was going to be in Rudy's position. It was she who was going to need to defend herself and try to explain to Rudy why she did it. She could only hope that he would understand and be able to forgive her. Would he? She wasn't sure, but she was still holding out for that.

She took a moment and glanced over at the door again. _No... Still nothing_. No sign of them coming back. No screeching of tired in the drive way. She bit her lip, feeling a pang spread through her stomach.

She hoped they would be okay. She hoped that Dr. Von Doktor didn't capture them, too. She would feel so awful if that happened. She would feel as though she could have done something more to help. She would feel like such a coward for staying behind, even though she did have some good reasons for not going.

She glanced down at her daughter. Sophie had taken a notebook and was scribbling on it. She didn't have her usual vigor to it, though. The strokes were slower and more.._subdued_ than what she normally saw in her daughter. This spoke volumes of just how sad and depressed her daughter was.

It was clear she really missed Rudy. Sophie enjoyed spending time with her cousin and playing with him. The fact that he was gone suddenly and she was unable to provide a clear cut answer as to when she'd see him again didn't exactly help things with Sophie. It seemed to just make her even more depressed, causing her to want to draw more. But she could not put her full effort into it and her scribbles, though not exactly masterpieces before, lacked the usual effort she'd normally give them.

Sophie stopped her scribbling and looked up at her. Again with that desperate look. Again with that sad expression. "Rudy...?" She asked hopefully.

Tilly felt her heart clench at this. She let out a sad sigh. "I'm sorry, Sophie. But Rudy _still_ isn't back."

"_Soon_?" Sophie asked, practically begging.

Tilly looked down towards the ground. She wasn't sure what to say at first. She soon lifted her head and stared down at her daughter. She about to speak when something caused her to immediately freeze.

_The phone was ringing_.

Tilly remained still for several moments. She wondered if it was real, or if she was just hearing things. A couple more rings echoing in her head was enough to convince her that it was true. She turned her head towards the phone that she was waiting next to. She licked her lips nervously and then, slowly, she reached for the phone and grabbed it.

Holding it to her ear, she hesitated and said, "Hello?" Her eyes brightened when she realized who it was. But that only made her heart pound faster. "What's going on? Where are you guys?" Her eyes widened in horror at what was said next. "..._what_...?"

sss

Terry was tired of waiting. She realized it hadn't really been that long. Certainly not long enough for a proper investigation. But she didn't care. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. _Someone had attacked her_ and she deserved to know who it was. If these doctors can't find out fast enough, then _she_ would have to take action.

She had wanted to just spring from her bed and run out the door. She wanted to get out of here, find her way back home, and figure things out on her own. She wanted to begin her own investigation of just what had happened.

But there were a few problems with that idea. One of which was the fact that she could not use her leg. It wasn't broken, but it had been damaged enough that she could not walk on it. If she attempted to bear weight down on it, she'd feel tremendous pain, which would cause her to fall down and hurt herself. She wouldn't get very far.

The other one, and this was the most obvious, she was still blind. Her eyes weren't heavily covered, but she could not move her eyelids without feeling sharp pain. And aside from that, she had chemical burns on her eyes, preventing her from seeing. If she were to fight against the pain and open up her eyes, she would be greeted with a field of obscurity, blocking her vision, and perhaps some blurry shapes if she concentrated hard enough. And this was coming from one eye.

Her more damaged eye, it was a lot darker, and much harder to make out the details. The damage was set much further in, and the doctors feared that she might have some retinal damage there. The thought frightened her, and she knew she was going to have a much harder time sleeping at night, knowing that she might wake up and find that she had completely lost her sight.

The doctors had done all that they could for now, and they were preparing for further treatment later once they got a better idea of what happened. The initial tests did show them quite a bit, at least. It wasn't everything they needed, but it was something to go off of.

The chemical that hit her eyes had caused her eyes to obtain a reddish color. The burn was seething, even with any painkillers they had given her. The one eye apparently also had a tiny bit of a whitish hue, which had the doctors very worried about how bad the damage really was. She imagined that her eyes might look different, too, though the doctors would not say.

She wasn't sure why. Perhaps they wanted to get more information first before they told her? Maybe. It was a possibility. It didn't help her too much right now, though. She needed something more..._concrete_ than that.

But what she wanted even more was to get up and leave. Yet she was trapped here. She had not been trained to use a white cane. She did not know how to get around without being able to see clearly where she was going. She would bump into things, run into people, and overall just get herself into further trouble. What she needed..._was help_.

And what was where her plan kicked into play. She knew that she wouldn't be able to leave. Even if she could see, the doctors would want her to remain on sight, at least a couple of days, to make sure that her eye was fine.

This meant that she was going to have to ask someone else to do the research for her. And she knew just the person to ask. She only spoke with him once, but he seemed like the kind of guy who would be good at the detective stuff and be able to find out what she needed.

Vinnie Raton.

She was well aware of how _crazy_ he can get. Frankly, she was rather annoyed by his barking habit. But the man did seem to have remarkable searching skills. He often sniffed around like a dog, and it made her wonder if he had a heightened sense of smell compared to a human. Very possible, and she could use that to her advantage.

She had Vinnie over the phone if he could come over here. If she didn't do this, chances are he would not show up. They weren't exactly the best of friends. But perhaps if she promised him something in return, he would agree to help her out. There was a chance of this backfiring, but she was willing to take it. When she heard the doors open, she immediately turned her head.

She knew, from the familiar grunt, that Vinnie stood in the doorway, possibly with a small frown on his face and his arms folded. There was another voice and Terry guessed that there was a nurse there that had led him here. She told Vinnie about how much time he had before visiting hours were over. Vinnie merely shoed her off, explaining that he knew already. The disgruntled nurse then shut the door behind him and the footsteps could be heard as the nurse left down the hallway.

Vinnie remained quiet for a few moments. No word was spoken. Terry imagined that he was looking at her in confusion and uncertainty. She could practically feel his eyes moving over her body. He was likely tired, too. It was dark out now, wasn't it?

"So...what happened to you?" Vinnie asked as he took a few steps forward. "It looks almost like you had a fight with a train." There was a slight hint of amusement in his voice.

Terry narrowed her eyes at this. "_Very funny_, Vinnie." Her expression relaxed as she took in a deep breath and sighed. "Look, I need your assistance."

Vinnie stared at her for a moment. The amusement in his voice returned. "I can see why. I don't think you can do _any_ of your reporting like _this_." He took a few steps closer. Terry could almost feel him right beside her now. "So what did you want me to report for you? And how much am I getting in return?"

Terry shook her head. "No, it's not like that. I need help with something else."

"_Oh_..." Vinnie almost sounded disappointed at that. He let out an exasperated sigh. "I hope this is good..." He paused for a moment. Then he asked, "Okay..what did you need me for?"

Terry narrowed her eyes. She could feel her eye lids sting slightly from this. "I need you to find out who my attacker is."

A long silence. Then a spluttered, "..._what_?"

"I'm serious, Vinnie." If she could see right now, she'd be staring straight at Vinnie's eyes. "I was attacked. Someone blinded me. And I need to find out who it was. You are the only person I trust enough to figure this out."

Vinnie let out a chuckle. "You're kidding, _right_?"

"This _isn't_ funny, Vinnie!" Terry snapped. "_Someone had_..."

"_Okay okay_ I get it!" Vinnie snarled at her. "_Yeesh_, you don't have to cop an attitude!"

Terry growled at this. She should have known that Vinnie would have been disrespectful when he waltzed in here. Perhaps it had been a mistake asking him of all people for help. She should have gone with someone else. Maybe Mr. Wilter or something.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Vinnie's voice pierced the darkness again. "I didn't mean to laugh. I'm just...so taken aback by this and..." There was another pause. Terry imagined that he was rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Well...do you mind explaining to me _what_ happened?"

"I can't tell you much of that until I know who attacked me and why." Terry said, her teeth gritted. She didn't have time for Vinnie's idiocy. "If you can find out for me, then I might have a clearer picture of what happened."

"Well...what about what you do know? When did you wake up like..._that_...? And what did the doctors say?" Vinnie asked. "You can tell me that, right?"

Terry nodded her head. "Yeah, I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She knew there wasn't much time, and if she was going to do it, she'd have to be quick about it. She sucked in a breath and sighed, mentally preparing herself for the speech. She did not feel comfortable doing this, but if this was the only way to get Vinnie to help her...

"I promise I won't laugh again." Vinnie said.

"I know you won't." Terry let out another sigh. She kept him waiting long enough. So she began to recount what she could remember. "This is what I recall."

sss

Moving back through the ventilation systems wasn't easy. Going back to where they had been before was even harder. The security system was still locked in place, meaning they could not just wander through and hope to find the portal. They would need to do some exploring before they found the correct hallway.

And that's exactly what they had been doing. They had been searching around, going through different exits, looking in the new areas, hoping to find the one that was linked to the room that held the chalkboard.

However, this required a lot of trial and error. Penny wasn't very happy about it. She didn't want to waste time guessing. Yet she knew there was little choice in the matter. Without a map or anyway to guide themselves, _how else_ were they going to locate the portal? It wasn't like they had Von here to interrogate, and even if they did, it wasn't like he'd tell them anything.

She was glad that her mom had decided to join up with her and her friends. Even if there was still some uncertainties between each other, even if she still didn't act as though she trusted them, they still managed to make quite a bit of progress, and she imagined they head searched a large portion of the building already.

_But how long would they be doing this_? How long would they be stuck traversing through the pipe system, moving through gunk and who knows what else, to reach the portal? The only consolance is that her mother didn't appear too alarmed, so that could mean the stuff they had gone through was relatively harmless. Or, with the poor lighting, it just meant that _she didn't see them_...

Penny shook the uneasy thought out of her head. Right now, they needed to focus on finding the portal. Besides, she was just being silly. Though the tunnels were indeed pretty dark, they still stepped out often, and her mother hadn't said anything then. Yeah, it was probably nothing to be worried about.

They continued on. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were behind her, while her mother was beside her. They stayed close to one another, offering each other suggestions and advice as they went through. More time passed and the more frustrated they started to become. But they did not give up hope. They'd find what they were searching for sooner or later.

Eventually, they tried one more exit. They crawled out carefully. It was difficult getting down, as always. But the zoners did help make the trip more bearable. They helped her and her mother down until they were close to the bottom. They all dropped down and they went into the hallway.

Immediately, Howdy reacted with positivity. He exclaimed that he knew this hallway and he knew where they needed to go. Penny was so shocked, she wasn't sure if she could believe it. Nonetheless, she followed Howdy, as did the others. And after a while of running, they soon arrived at a room, the doors wide open.

_And there was a light_...

Penny took in a sharp breath, her eyes widening in shock. They had made it... They had found the portal at last. Without hesitation, they all rushed into the room.


	40. Surprises

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 40: Surprises

_**To be prepared, is it not always wise to prepare for the least likely?**_

sss

Ms. Tweezer doublechecked to make sure she got everything that she needed. She didn't want to miss a thing and have to come all the way back here. That would waste time and that's not what she wanted to do. So she made sure she had everything, like the paper and pens, the camera, anything else that she felt she could use.

She wanted to go see Terry. Yeah, Terry _did_ explain already what she knew. But Ms. Tweezer had a strong hunch that she was hiding some information, perhaps out of fear. She wanted to go over there and reassure her that everything would be fine, and ask her for more information regarding her attack. The more information she got, the better. She needed as much information as possible if she was going to try to counter the _unreal_ and the _unthinkable_.

Ms. Tweezer wondered if Terry was frightened into slience by Rudy. That boy, he was definitely the cause of all of this. Who _else_ could it be? He was the one who paraded with those unreals, let them into this world.

_Yes...she remembered it all now_. It had all come back to her. She had been trying to help Rudy understand why the unreal was so bad, and he had dished out unreal against her. She didn't understand why he'd do that. She had only tried to help him become a more model civilian, and he bit her back with that..._wretched imaginary stuff_.

All kinds of them had jumped out into the world, preparing to infest it. All kinds of creatures that shouldn't exist...and they _taunted_ her, _surrounded her_.. She was so lucky that they didn't try to eat her, or worse, infect her with some kind of virus to make her act differently. She ran off before they could do anymore. She didn't stop running until she had reached her home, and she got into her bed and hid underneath the covers.

Her life had been suck a wreck since then. People had mocked her and told her she was just making it up. Normally she'd agree and think it was a nightmare. But no... It had happened, and _Rudy_ was behind it all. He had made the unreal physical and he was trying to _poison_ the world with it. Well, not anymore. She was going to put a stop to that.

But first, she needed to speak to Terry. She was likely Rudy's latest victim. She would have the most memory of the attack. She'd be the one to talk to when it came to trying to figure out what the boy did and how to stop him.

She hoped that Terry would be cooperative. She'd understand if it was hard to speak at first. After all, being blinded was a really traumatizing experience. But regardless, she still needed to speak to her. She needed to share her experience so everyone would know the threat. News must be spread. Ms. Tweezer was aware that the news station wouldn't air something like this, but she didn't care. If they weren't going to spread the news, then she would find a way to do it herself. She'll put up flyers if she had to. She would make sure that little brat didn't get away with this.

Soon she had completely packed her bags. She tied the knots tightly, and made sure the straps were secure. She buckled it in the back seat of her car to make sure it didn't go anywhere. Then she turned the keys in the ignition and off she went.

She wondered where Rudy was right now. Probably out scheming with this unreal friends, the little sneak. Her blood boiled ad the mere thought of that. She couldn't wait to see the look on the boy's face when his plans all come crashing down. He would soon taste the bitterness of defeat and find out exactly what she and Terry had felt.

Then there was the unknown factor. Penny herself. She had been mostly a good student in her one day art class. But she was still friends with Rudy. She reminded herself of this over and over again. She might be in cahoots with him. She needed to be monitored for any suspicious activities. A part of her hoped that Penny would be the good girl she had thought her to be and be more sensible. But there was still that chance that she wasn't all that she appeared to be and she was actually helping Rudy in all of this.

There was also the fact that other children might be infected by this. She had to make sure to stop it, before it spreads any further. If she failed to do that, if she failed this town...

_How could she keep the world from falling victim_?

She soon pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. She stretched herself up, feeling her back crack. Then she proceeded towards the double doors leading inside.

Along the way, she spotted something. She turned her head, noticing a rather short, round person walking by in such a hurry. He was mumbling to himself and it seemed as though he was...flustered she guessed was the right word. Or something close to that. Curious, she walked a little closer. She soon recognized who it was.

_Vinnie_? What was he doing here at the hospital? Was he visiting Terry? She recalled that Vinnie was one of the people had spoken to about the ridiculous chalk world. Though she saw little sense in him visiting Terry, after all, he did not know her that well, she still did not want to dismiss that possibility.

Ms. Tweezer felt her stomach twist and turn in disgust when she felt she got a little too close to him. A smell of his cologne was enough to make her feel sick and back away a little. She plugged her nose, trying her best to ignore the smell. It reminded her way too much of just how crazy this man was. Like Terry, he believed in this fake world of chalk, and he had been determined to create a 'chalk world theme park' or something like that. This man was clearly infected and she could not risk getting caught up in it. She mustn't fail in her mission.

She was about to walk away when the man called out to her.

"_Hey_! Why are you following me for?" Vinnie shouted. "Do you need something?"

"I..." The woman looked back at him. She clenched her teeth, darning her eyes from one side to the other. Oh, what was she going to say to him? And would he even begin to understand? She swallowed hard and managed to speak, "D-Did you see Terry Bouffant in there?"

"Terry Bouffant?" Vinnie asked. He took a step forward. The woman immediately recoiled, moving back. "Well...yeah she is. _Why_ are you asking?"

"I..." Ms. Tweezer struggled to find the words to say. How would she explain the situation to this man? How would she be able to get him to understand? "I just..need to talk to her, okay?"

Vinnie frowned slightly. "I see... Well visiting hours are still open." He turned around, pointing his shoulder at her. "If you hurry, you may be able to see her before they shut the doors completely on visitations."

Ms. Tweezer watched as the man walked away. A part of her was feeling relief to have that man be as far away from her as possible. She did not want to risk catching any of the unreal and corrupt her pure essence. But still...she couldn't help but feel curious regarding what Terry wanted with Vinnie. She had to wonder if Terry shared any secrets with Vinnie. She had to find out.

"Hey, _wait_!" Ms. Tweezer called out, holding out her hand. The man stopped and looked at her. "Do you mind if you answer a few questions for me?"

Vinnie stared at her for a few moments. He then narrowed his eyes. "Why _should_ I?"

"Please, it won't take very long." Ms. Tweezer said.

Vinnie shook his head slowly. "Sorry, but I need to get started. Terry gave me an assignment and..." He stopped as he stared at Ms. Tweezer. His eyes widened slightly when he realized he had given a bit of information away. He then quickly said, "Look, I need to leave now. I can't stay. If you want answers, go talk to Terry."

Ms. Tweezer narrowed her eyes as she watched the man split. He got into his car and drove away, leaving her in the dust. _How rude_... How dare he treat her that way... How dare he ignore her like that... He could have had the descency to answer _at least one_ of her questions instead of just running off like that.

Well, at least she wouldn't need to deal with his idiocy anymore. She supposed she could be grateful for that. She turned her attention back to the hospital. Time to go see Terry. If Vinnie was right and visiting hours were almost over, then she had little time to spare. She walked over and entered the hospital.

sss

Snap stared out at the portal, his eyes wide. A part of him had a hard time believing that they had finally made it here. A part of him was worried that they would never get here, that he and his friends were going to die in the Real World. He had imagined that they would get captured or killed long before they even got this far. But here it was. The portal, right before them. Just waiting to be used. It was almost too good to be true.

He turned and glanced over at his friends. They were just as as happy and shocked as he was. They looked over at him, and they gave him a smile. One that spoke volumes of what they felt without actually saying anything. Snap couldn't help but smile back at them. He was so overwhelmed with emotion, he wanted to go jump up and down and hug his friends. _All their effort_...it had _finally_ paid off.

_But no_..they couldn't do that yet. Snap turned his head back towards the portal. He narrowed his eyes. They still had some work to do. Things weren't over yet. He looked back at his friends, his eyes still narrowed, and nodded his head once. They did the same thing in return. They turned back to the portal. It was time for them to return to ChalkZone, and take the steps necessary to try to counter Von. They were all aware that he was still a threat and they needed to do something about him, before he could expose ChalkZone and let in who knows how many creators into this world.

Snap was about to go through when he realized that Penny and Mrs. Sanchez hadn't approached the portal yet. He wondered why. He turned his head and noticed that Mrs. Sanchez was staring at the portal with wide eyes, filled with fear and uncertainty. Penny looked as if she was trying to reassure her mother, but nothing she was saying was getting through.

"Mom, it's okay. You will be fine. You just step through the portal and you'll be in ChalkZone." Penny said, making a few gestures with her hand as she explained it to her mother.

Mrs. Sanchez bit her lip as she stared at the open portal. She took a small step back, shaking her head once. "No, I... I am not sure if it's safe..."

Penny widened her eyes at this. "_Not safe_?! Mom, I've been using these portals for a while now! I can guarantee you that they are safe!"

"Yeah..." Rapsheeba said. "It's just a portal." She spread her hands out. "It's not like it's going to hurt you or anything."

"I went through the portal multiple times before. And I haven't gotten ripped apart by it." Howdy pointed to himself as he spoke.

Penny stared at the zoners, and then looked at her mother. "You see, mom? It'll be _fine_!" She grabbed onto her mother's hand and started to pull. "Now, why don't we just..."

Mrs. Sanchez grunted as she yanked her arm back. She looked down at Penny, her eyes still tinted with that fear from before. Snap wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but it almost seemed as if she had gotten more afraid, more determined not to go.

Snap narrowed his eyes slightly at this. What was the woman afraid of? Just what did she think the portal was going to do to her? _How_ could the portal hurt her? It was just _air_. Nothing more. Well okay, it was more complicated than that. Still, it was more like walking through a door or crawling out of an open window. It wasn't like the portal had sharp teeth and was going to rip her to shreds or anything.

He tried to calm himself down. He reminded himself that Mrs. Sanchez was new at this. She didn't know what to expect. She didn't know how these portals worked, or just what was waiting on the other side. He couldn't be angry at her for that. Not everyone is so adventerous and willing to just jump out at something they never seen before.

Snap took a few steps towards the woman. He stared at her sympathetically, his narrowed eyes relaxing. "Miss..." Penny stopped talking while she and her mother looked down at him. Snap did his best to smile at the woman. He set his anger aside for a moment. "The portal isn't going to hurt you. All you have to do is step through it. That's all."

"What about the dimensional travel? How does that work?" Mrs. Sanchez replied. "What about any side effects? _Anything_ that could go wrong?"

Snap shook his head. "You just step through. There's nothing there. No wall or anything. You just...step through."

Mrs. Sanchez stared at him for several seconds. Her eyes widened, and the narrowed. She tilted her head slightly to one side. "You're...kidding, right? It _can't_ be _that_ simple..."

"Oh it _is_." Snap folded his arms against his chest and smirked. "Trust me on this."

Mrs. Sanchez put a hand to her head. Her eyes were wide and almost wild. Her head might as well have smoke coming out of it as her thoughts raced. This clearly went against everytihng she knew. She darted her eyes from left to right. "It...can't be... That would..."

Penny put a hand on her shoulder. "Mom, he's right." The woman stared down at her daughter. "I've used a portal plenty of times. There's _nothing_ to worry about."

"Yeah..." Rapsheeba said as she and Howdy walked over towards her. "You will be okay. Trust us."

Howdy nodded his head, smiling the best he could. He held his hand out towards her. "If we knew the travel was dangerous, we wouldn't even ask you to go."

"So can we please stop wasting time and go?" Penny asked. "We don't have time to just stand around here." She focused her attention on her mother. "Please, mom. _Let's just go_. Don't be difficult like before. Just step into the portal and you will be fine."

The woman still appeared reluctant. Not like Snap could really blame her or anything. This was clearly a new thing for her after all. This might be normal for him and Penny, but that was only because they frequented portals more. Well more so Penny, but Snap had used them a few times himself. He knew they were safe, and he knew if the woman would just try it, she'd know this as well.

Snap narrowed his eyes slightly when he thought about what Penny said. Yeah, they really couldn't stand here for long. He looked at Mrs. Sanchez. He hoped that she would at least give it a try. He didn't think Penny would feel comfortable with leaving her mom behind, and forcing the woman to go through this building alone would have been cruel. _And what if the cops show up and think she was in cahoots with Von_? That would be _horrible_.

But still the woman stayed. For the past two minutes, she did nothing but look at the portal. It felt much longer than that, as though time itself was stretching out, making the minutes feel like hours. It was getting to the point where Snap felt it was best to just grab her and shove her into the portal. The temptation was too great. He took a step forward.

As soon as he did, the woman _finally_ made a move. She straightened herself up as she looked at the chalkboard. The opening was staring back at her, the light from Day Zone shining on her face. She took a step towards it. She paused and looked back at them.

"You are sure it is safe?" Mrs. Sanchez asked.

"_Yes, it is_! Now go through it before Von discovers us here!" Snap said to her sternly. He hadn't meant to be that loud with her. But they really did have to get going. _If Von caught them there..._

Mrs. Sanchez bit her lip. She looked at the zoners, and then to Penny. They all watched her, waiting for her to make her move. She looked back at the portal. She eyed it up and down slowly. Her teeth gritted in nervousness. She took a small step back, causing Snap's stomach to swell in frustration. They didn't have time for this. They...

Then Mrs. Sanchez let out a sigh, causing Snap to freeze, stopping what he was about to say. "All right then..." She said. "Let's...get this over with."

The woman sucked in a deep breath. She moved closer to the portal. She stared at it intently. She looked back at Penny and the zoners. Then she returned her gaze to the portal. She licked her lips nervously as she lifted up her arm and moved it towards the portal slowly. She turned her head away, shutting her eyes tightly as she moved her hand slowly towards it, as if afraid she was going to hurt herself.

Soon her hand went into the portal. The woman nearly tripped when she realized there was nothing solid there to keep her steady. She whipped her head around, stumbling forward as she struggled to keep her balance. Her eyes widened when she saw her hand through. Her eyes seemed to shine of many different statements as she moved her hand in and out of the portal, as if to test it and retest it.

Then, giving them one more glance, she turned to the portal and she climbed into it. After Mrs. Sanchez went through, they all followed suit. Soon, they were all in ChalkZone, standing next to one another. Penny turned, grabbed an eraser, and destroyed the portal. Only empty air remained after she erased it.

Snap noticed the shocked, almost horrified look on Mrs. Sanchez's face as the portal was erased, but he didn't pay too much attention. Instead, he focused on what was around him. In a cave, the portal facing towards the entrance, fragmented light shining through the sharp trees. Outside, they were to be greeted by a rather disturbing land, where even the _ground_ hisses. The Pencil Sharpener was a spooky place and normally, he'd rather be as far away from it as possible.

But today, he was just glad to be back in ChalkZone. He took in a sharp breath, smelling the chalk air all around him. He smiled softly, feeling elation build up inside of his stomach, resisting the urge to jump up and down in joy with his friends. Being back home felt _wonderful_.

But he did not celebrate. He reminded himself of what needed to be done. He turned to the others, watching as they proceeded to leave. He looked back at the space where the portal had been. Then he followed his friends as they began to trek into The Pencil Sharpener.

sss

Tilly stood there in silence. Her heart practically stopped beating. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was tempted to pinch herself, to try and make herself wake up. _This..this couldn't be real, right_...? This was some kind of _sick joke_ or something, wasn't it? _No way_ that Rudy could have been...

But her eyes were telling her different. She looked down at the hospital bed, seeing Rudy lay there in silence, save for a couple ragged breaths he'd give once in a while. She looked over a little higher, seeing that Rudy's parents were there. They were huddled together, Joe's arms around Millie as they watched their son sadly. The sight of this not only twisted her heart, but made her realize just how _real_ this _truly_ was.

She looked down at her daughter. She watched as Sophie tried to nudge Rudy gently. She was trying so hard to wake him up and play with her. She could hear her daughter constantly shout at him to get up out of bed. She felt so bad for her. Sophie clearly didn't understand the gravity of what happened.

When Sophie started to climb up into the bed, Tilly immediately reached. "No, dear! _Don't do that_!" Tilly grabbed her daughter and pulled her away.

Sophie squirmed in her arms. "Why _not_ play? _I want play_!"

Tilly held her daughter to herself as Joe and Millie glanced over sadly at them. Tilly cradled Sophie gently in her arms. She whispered softly to her, "No...Rudy can't play right now.. He's hurt..." Tilly said softly. She closed her eyes, feeling a few tears form. "He needs to recover first."

Sophie looked at her mother with slightly widened eyes. "He covered in _owies_?"

Tilly nodded her head. "Yes, dear. And these owies are going to make it hard for him to move around for a while." She said gently. "So you will have to be gentle with him from now on. If you are too forceful with him, he might..." Her voice trailed off. She found herself unable to finish. She could only stare sadly at her daughter.

Sophie seemed to get the gist of it. She looked over at Rudy. She bit her lip and reached out towards the boy. "_R-Rudy_...?" Tilly's heart nearly shattered at the little squeak her daughter gave. She looked up at her mother and she latched onto her.

Tilly held onto her daughter tightly, rubbing her back gently as she rested her head against her hair. She could feel Sophie cuddling close to her and begin to tremble. She could hear her daughter start to cry softly, and she realized that Sophie finally understood what was going on. Hearing her daughter cry like this stung Tilly's heart. She wished she could do something to help her feel better.

As she held her daughter, she thought about the circumstances that led her here. It had been a short time ago that she recieved a call from these two. She had been so surprised and happy to hear their voices. Never more before did she went to jump through the phone than at that moment.

However, her elation was quickly _shattered_ when she was informed that something terrible had happened to Rudy. He was hospitalized with a hole in his abdomen. As soon as she heard that horrible news, she took Sophie and rushed to the hospital.

As soon as they had arrived, she practically ran to the room where Rudy was being held. She spoke with Joe and Millie on what had occurred. When they told her that he had been attacked by Von, her heart nearly stopped and turned into ice. And the nature of the attack they described made it even _worse_. Tilly put a hand against her chest, feeling it thump. She couldn't believe that such a thing had happened. And when she learned _Penny_ was hurt as well...

Perhaps it was a good thing that she had told Inez, Joe, and Millie after all. If they didn't know about this, Rudy and Penny might still be trapped with that awful man, with no way out. With Rudy so badly hurt, and Penny injured as well, _how_ would they have gotten out? Suddenly, she no longer felt bad about spilling the beans.

But this was still not over yet and she knew it. She looked over at Rudy. She watched as he took in shaky breath after shaky breath. Bandanges were wrapped around his body. He had a pale complexion to him. He looked so sickly and weak, and yet somehow..._peaceful_.

"When I get my hands on that scientist..." Millie growled softly. She clutched her hands tightly, making a twisting motion. "I'm goin to wring his neck!"

Tilly and Joe stared at the woman in shock. Normally, she wasn't a violent type. In order to get her into that state, one must try really, really hard to tick her off. And Von succeeded in just that. By harming her son, he had crossed the line.

Joe put his hand on his wife's back, rubbing it to try to comfort her. "Now, Millie.. That won't do us _any_ good. All it will do is land you a trip into prison. And I know you don't want that. Rudy will need you and if you're _in jail_...you can't provide for him." He held up his hand in gesture as he listened to his wife's snarls. "Come on, Millie. Let's let the police handle it."

Millie turned to glare at her husband. "But Joe... look at what he did to our son." She motioned her hand towards the sleeping child. "Don't you think he deserves to _pay for that_?"

Joe nodded his head. "_Absolutely_! And he will. Don't worry." Joe moved his hand until it touched her face. He gently caressed it back and forth. "He will pay for what he has done. I promise you that."

Millie's face softened up at this. She let out a soft sigh, lowering her head. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry that I.."

Joe cupped her chin, gently tilting it upwards. "No need to apologize, Millie. I understand." He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "Everything will be fine. You'll see.."

Millie smiled at her husband. It didn't last long as the two adults looked back at their son. Worry filled their eyes as they pressed against one another. They watched their boy, their only child, and waited for him to wake up.

The sight was very sad, and Tilly found it hard not to cry with Millie and her husband. Rudy may not have been her son, but she still loved him like one. Rudy didn't deserve what he got. He had always been such a good kid. Okay so he screwed up once in a while, but that was okay. He was still _so young_, had _so much_ to learn...

And yet that disgusting man still came and hurt him. He had took a rusted nail, of all things, and pushed it through his body. Then he had the gall to yank it out, causing more damage. Thanks to that awful man, Rudy was probably going to be stuck in the hospital for a long time. He was going to be cut off from his friends and family and just being a kid, and had to just lay here while the doctors treated him the best that they could.

The only thing that consoled her and prevented her from going on a rampage was the fact that the man would indeed get what was coming to him soon. He could try to run and hide from justice, but it would catch up to him soon, and it would force him to face the consequences of what he had done. He was _not_ going to get away with this. She swore it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door open and the sound of footsteps filled the air. She turned her head and there she saw the doctor standing. He was holding a clipboard in his hands as he approached them slowly and somewhat cautiously.

"Hello. I hope I'm not intruding." The doctor said.

Almost right away, Millie spoke up. "How is he, doctor?"

The doctor furrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Not too well. The good news is that it could have been a lot worse. But considering what is going on...that might not seem like _much_." He held up his clipboard, looking at the pages as Tilly, Millie, and Joe waited eagerly and hesitantly for the answers. "Rudy has _massive_ infection in the wound itself. We're doing our best to clean it out and disinfect it. But I'm afraid that some of the germs already spread too quickly, and we will have to keep him on antibiotics for a while to try to counter any development of disease." The doctor looked down at the boy sadly, shaking his head. "There's also been some puncture in at least one of his organs, from what we were able to find so far. His liver and part of his colon had been _punctured_. We're going to need to perform surgery on him to mend the damage. But he's going to have to stay here so we can run more scans on to be sure that we didn't miss anything."

Millie put her hand to her mouth in horror as she listened to the details of what happened to Rudy's insides. She took a small step back, a few tears moving down her face. Joe didn't look too much better. He swallowed ahrd and tried his best to keep his composure. He was trying to be brave in front of Millie, but Tilly could tell it was taking all of his strength to do so.

"Do you know how long he will be here?" Joe asked softly.

"We aren't sure yet." The doctor replied. "We need to gather more information before we can decide what course of action is best. I can promise that he'll be in here for a long time, especially with that colon injury."

Tilly bit her lip at this and looked over at Millie and Joe. She watched as they lowered their heads slightly in sadness. She felt so sorry for them. She wished she could say something to cheer them up. But what could she say? There was really nothing any of them could do...except just accept what fate had given them.

The idea of surgery was _terrifying_. So much can go wrong there. Something could happen and Rudy's condition might worsen. Or worse, he might wake up during the surgery _and_... She shuddered at the thought. She tried to calm herself, reminding herself that such a thing might not happen as the chances of waking up during surgery were so remote.

Yeah, Rudy was going to be okay. He might be stuck here for a while, but after all was said and done, and after everything was taking care of, he'd be able to come home and everything will be fine.

_But Von was still out there_... Something needed to be done about him and soon. She clutched her hand into a fist, shaking it. She turned her head and peered out of the window. As the doctor continued to speak with her sister and husband, she just stared, looking at the city below them. Von was out there somewhere, probably laughing his ass off at what he had gotten away with. That would come to an end. She was sure of it.

sss

Blocky struggled against his binds. He twisted his body left and right as he tried to get away. He looked up at Dr. Von Doktor in horror. The man was sneering excitedly down at him, coming ever closer with that tube.

Blocky had no idea what was inside of it. But judging from the man's expression, it couldn't have been good. He jerked himself from side to side as he tried to do something to loosen the cuffs that held him down. Unfortunately, nothing was working, and he was left still strapped to the table. He pulled one of his limbs too hard and he let out a yelp and collapsed onto the table.

He shivered as the man now stood next to him. Blocky would have tried to speak to him, but he was too afraid. He gritted his teeth as he looked up at the man, waiting to hear what the man had in store for him. He had nowhere to run or hide. This fact caused adrenaline to rush through his body, desperate to get away. _What was the man going to do with him now_?

He had no idea how long he had been strapped down here. He had no idea where the man had been recently been or what he was up to. He thought he heard some noises before. Thumps and possibly grunts, and some squishiness, which made his skin crawl. The look on the man's face made him not want ot ask what he was doing.

"Are you _hungry_, little one?" Dr. Von Doktor asked. That same, creepy smile remained on his face. "I do have zomezing for you. If you're ztarving, let me know and I will give it to you." He raised the tube up slightly at this.

Blocky rested his eyes on the tube. He couldn't tell what it was from here. The tube was kind of opaque. Clear, but not enough to tell what color the stuff was inside. It was dark, but that's about all he could tell from that. Well that, and it had a sort of..._chunky_ texture. Soup, perhaps? But then...why did it have a strange odor to it? It wasn't horrible, but it was...strange and unusual.

Blocky looked back up at the man. He knew he was going to regret this. But curiosity finally got the better of him. He sucked his lip for a second and then said, "Wh-What is _that_...?"

"Oh juzt zomezing I zink you will enjoy. You probably didn't have ziz before, but...zere iz a firzt time for _everyzing_, right?" Von tilted his head to one side, his smile ticking slightly wider. The sight of it made Blocky cringe back, turning his head to the side, or rather he tried to, failing miserably. "Zo open _wide_..."

Blocky watched as the man leaned in even closer. The man's hand reached down and touched him on his head, gripping his jaw tightly. Blocky immediately squirmed, trying to get away. His limbs banged against the metal bands violently, his desperation increasing with each second.

He tried to bite down on Von's finger, but the man's strength was too much, and he successfully kept the zoner's mouth pried wide open. The tube was brought ever closer. Blocky's eyes were glued onto it, watching as the mystery substance was brought ever closer to his opened mouth. He let out grunts and whimpers of protest. This just made the man chuckle harder and the tube was brought over at a swifter pace.

Soon it was right in front of him, above his mouth, and slowy it was tipped over to allow its contents to spill out. Blocky's eyes widened in horror when he realized that the stuff was red in color. Very dark, but still having a reddish hue in it. The smell was stronger now, and it made him start to feel sick. And the chunkiness... At this close up angle, staring at it, he could tell what it was now.

_Raw flesh_.

His whimpers soon turned into loud, albeit distorted, screams. His struggling increased in vigor, each movement even more desperate than he was before. The tip of the tube now touched the top of his tongue. He tried to shake his head as he stared up at the man pleadingly. But all the man did was continue to smile as he tilted the tube up even more, and soon the bloody, _gruesome_ contents touched his tongue.

He immediately screeched in horror, the sound muffled by the man's hand. He could feel the horrid tasting stuff fill into his mouth. His taste buds went on fire as the iron blood, intermixed with small pieces of what he guessed was bone or cartiledge and pieces of flesh, lathered over his tongue.

Then the man closed his mouth. The zoner let out a series of whimpers, tears flowing down his face, as the wretched, disgusting _chum-like substance_ sloshed around in his mouth. He tried to spit it out, but Von held his mouth shut tightly, preventing him any chance of forcing the flesh out of his mouth.

Blocky whimpered loudly. He looked up at Von, begging him silently not to do this. The taste rapidly filled his mouth, making him feel sick the longer it remained in his mouth. He wanted to throw up so bad.

Unable to do anything, Blocky succumbed to what the man wanted him to do and he swallowed. He nearly gagged as he felt the the liquified flesh slide down his throat and into his stomach. Only when he had completely swallowed the flesh soup did the man let go of his mouth.

Immediately, Blocky opened his mouth and started to cough and splutter and retch. He spat out as much of the flesh contents still remaining as he could. He wanted to scrape his tongue off in order to get rid of the taste. He wanted to rush to the nearest toilet and vomit up his contents, forcing the flesh out of his mouth, where it didn't belong. He stared up at the man in confusion, letting out a series of whimpers.

_How could he do something like that_? How could he force him to _eat another zoner_? How could he _murder_ a zoner just to feed it to someone else? Blocky wanted to yell at the man as anger rose up inside of him. He wanted to chew the man out for what he had done.

But he couldn't. Emotion weighed down on him, and as the reality of what happened struck him in full, all he could do was allow tears to fall down his face. He closed his eyes and started to cry softly. His body trembled hard as his cries filled the air. Nausea swept through his stomach, his noise getting stuffy, and his cheeks stinging.

"I zee you enjoyed your meal. _Zat iz good_! I knew you'd love it!" Dr. Von Doktor said, his smile still there, looking more twisted to Blocky the longer that he stood there. "It waz a good zing zat you ate it all, Blocky. It wazn't eazy getting zat prepared for you. Removing a portion of the leg waz difficult, and don't get me ztarted on zee _blending_."

The man took a moment to grimace, as if remember something rather unsettling about the whole process. This shudder only lasted a second and the turned back to grin at Blocky.

"I zink it waz worz it in zee end, don't you zink zo? I'm sure zat waz juzt deliciouz!" Von said as he listened to Blocky's whimpers. "Tell me, what did it tazte like? Were you completely zatizfied? Waz it better zan you ever hoped?"

Blocky didn't answer. He just closed his eyes and started to cry. How could the man be this cruel? Forcing him to eat flesh from one of his own, and then act like it was something that he had enjoyed? Did he not notice his distress? His gagging? Possibly, but he was obviously ignoring it.

He felt a cold shudder move through his body as he wondered if the man planned on feeding him more of that stuff. If he did... No, he couldn't be. _No.. That was just_.. His body's shaking increased, his mind racing with thoughts of the poor zoners that would surely be targeted by this cruel man if he did go through with that. Tears streamed down his face at the thought of more zoners dying because of this man's sick desires. And knowing that he himself may be forced to consume more zoner flesh just made him feel all the sicker.

Dr. Von Doktor tilted his body back. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder... Zinze you enjoyed ziz 'zoner zoup' zo much, maybe zelling zoner flesh would be a great idea."

Blocky tried to shake his head. "_N-No_..." His voice cracked at this. "_Don't..please_..."

Dr. Von Doktor stared down at him. The fact that he was still smiling after all this was eerie. "Don't worry. I might not do it anyway. Zoner meat would tazte like chalk anyway, right? I don't zink too many of my future clientz would want that." Blocky let out a sigh of relief, but he did not relax, knowing that the man probably had something else in store. "Bezidez, zere iz anozer reazon I gave zat ztuff to you."

Blocky licked his lips nervously. "A-And what is that?"

Von's smile broadened, his eye brow raised up slightly. "I am curiouz to know if you zonerz are like humanz, and cannot digezt raw flesh wizout the rizk of infection. The lack of zertain...enzymez zat kill zee germz. Tell me, Blocky. By eating the raw flesh, are you at riz of getting a disease? Are you going to get zick? Let me know. I'm _really_ curiouz."

Blocky's face paled at this. "What.." His voice trailed off, his body shaking in horror.

Von tilted his head slightly. "If you can't anzwer, zat iz quite all right." He gave a chuckle. "I zuppoze I can juzt wait until it takez effect." He took a step closer. "Time will tell me." He reached forward and touched Blocky on the face.

Blocky let out a yelp as the man started to caress his face. All Blocky could do in response was close his eyes and start sobbing.

sss

Inez followed closely behind Penny and the three zoners. She looked left and right, taking everything in. She hunched her shoulders up nervously, her body filling with tension as her mind struggled to take all of this in.

She found it hard to believe just where she was right now. A part of her mind thought she was just dreaming. But countless attempts to pinch herself proved otherwise. Yeah, this was real, no matter what her scientific-mind was telling her. The land she was walking on, the air she was breathing, the things she was seeing.._it was all real_. As much real as she and her daughter were.

This world..it really messed with her mind. _The way it looked_... It was clearly drawings. Children drawings mostly. She looked from left to right. In spite of how spooky the previous place was, or how beautiful and alive these plains and rolling hills were, they still looked like 2D drawings that she'd find on a chalkboard. And yet they still retained a 3D essence and still looked real and they still looked as though she could reach out and touch them.

This..this was so foreign to her. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Her brain was sending her multiple signals and her mind was aching. She rubbed her head from side to side, trying to fight off the confusion. She wasn't sure what to make of this place and she wasn't sure how long it would be before she could get used to this.

Her daughter didn't seem to be as affected. In fact, she was walking through as if nothing was wrong. This did not surprise her. Penny had been coming here for a time, right? She knew this place better than she did. She knew how this world worked and what to expect. Of course she would not be as frightened.

But if there's anything that Inez had learned from being in...what did they call it... _Pencil Sharpener_, she knew that not all places in this..ChalkZone were so pristine and safe. Even Penny admitted there were dangers.

Inez had to wonder just what other dangers there could be. _What else could this world be hiding_? She looked left and right, half expecting some hungry animal zoner to jump out and try to eat her. Even though nothing has happened in the fifteen minutes they had been walking, she did not want to take that chance. She had a feeling that there could be some really dangerous animals here, capable of things that no Real World animal was. _The thought was terrifying_.

A small part of her did find some comfort in Penny being rather calm. Her daughter did know this place well and had apparently visited much of it. While Inez was nervous about the unknown, Penny was not since she had more knowledge. So logically, if Penny wasn't nervous about walking through here, neither should she.

But still, Inez couldn't help but be fearful. Didn't Penny tell her about how this world are things that are erased from a chalkboard? She was certain she mentioned that as they walked through the dark and twisted forest. This meant that ChalkZone was _unpredictable_. One minute, a land would be open, empty, peaceful. The next, it could be transformed with a huge gladiator stadium filled with dangerous beasts.

The thought was certainly unnerving, causing the vet to remain cautious, despite Penny's reassurances. It was hard for Penny to comfort her for something even she could not predict. How could Penny know when something is about to be erased?

And just how were the zoners _themselves_? How would she know for certain if there wasn't going to be any unfriendlies on the way? Penny and her zoner pals did reassure her that most zoners were peaceful and would leave her alone. But they did also say that some of the zoners would be more dangerous, but that they were a small percentage.

That did little to comfort the woman. Especially given the fact that zoners could be created with special abilities that test and go beyond scientific expectations, she couldn't help but remain terrified of what they might encounter.

What if they met a zoner that could melt their guts from the inside out? Or a zoner that could shoot lasers from its eyes? Or a zoner that could crush them easily under its massive weight?

"Mom, it will be okay." Penny said, probably for the third time since they had gotten out of the forest. "I'm taking you to where the hospital should be after we stop by the Chalk Mine to get a new piece of chalk."

"Didn't you say it was guarded by something?" Inez asked, her voice wavering on caution.

Snap nodded his head. "Yeah, Biclops. A giant." He spread out his hands as he said this.

Inez widened her eyes in horror. "_A giant_?!"

Snap chuckled lightheartedly. "Oh don't worry about him. He's pretty nice." Snap waved a dismissing hand. "The only thing he wants is for you to stay out of the Chalk Mine. The only humans allowed in there are Rudy and Penny." He paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well that's mainly because...they're the _only_ humans Biclops permits in ChalkZone..."

This did not sit well with Inez. She couldn't stop the horrible images of a giant zoner running after her and trying to crush her. She shivered, unable to stop herself from imagining such a scary scenario.

And if Rudy and Penny were the only ones permitted in ChalkZone, what was the giant going to think of her? How was he going to react? Even if he didn't chase her, she'd still be terrified of him. Would he be upset with Penny? It was possible. Would he turn against her? Chase her, too?

Penny seemed to almost read her mind and spoke up. "Don't worry, mom. He won't hurt _any_ of us."

"Yeah, that's not Biclops's style." Rapsheeba said.

"He might have done that years ago, but after he met Rudy and saw how nice he was, he had mellowed out quite a bit." Howdy said, giving her a reassuring smile. "He will be upset, but he wouldn't try to hurt you or anything."

"So just relax. He'd be more suspicious of you if you act too nervously. Just be calm and relaxed and he would be more open to you." Said Penny.

Inez attempted to relax. But it was a difficult thing to do. How could she fully relax with the idea of a giant being present? One that would not be very happy to see her? One that could easily _crush her_ if she so much did anything that would upset him?

Before she could completely regain her bearings, Penny made a shout to caused them all to stop for a moment.

"_We're here_!"

Inez immediately looked out ahead. There was a slight dip, and down further, she could see a river that curved and moved around a large, rocky structure. She could see a large opening in it, and darkness within. There was some kind of sign that said 'Magic Chalk Mine'. Yeah, they had arrived.

Inez watched as Penny and the zoners started to head forward. She thought about going with, but she hesitated. No, it would be best if she stayed back here and waited. She didn't want to screw anything up. She didn't know how to act around the giant, and she didn't want to cause any misunderstandings. So she waited and watched as her daughter headed towards the cave structure.

She took a moment to look at it in full, tilting her head up. The whole place seemed to set on an island, or a near island. From this angle, she couldn't tell if the water ran all the way around. The cave itself had a purplish tint to it and appeared pretty jagged. Almost _foreboding_ in a way.

She couldn't tell if the cave systems headed downward, but that was a possibility. And if it did, she wondered how far down it went. Would Penny get lost going through? How many rooms did it have? What else did this mine contain? Several questions ran through her head.

Then she felt a slight vibration in the ground. No shaking, but..something that kinda moved. Enough to let her know something was there. She could see a shadow coming out of the mine, stretching out to cover Penny, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy. None of them tried to run away or showed any signs of fear. Yet Inez herself couldn't help but bite her fingernails nervously.

_And then she saw it_. The huge zoner had made his appearance. Moving slowly, staring down intently at the group of four children, the giant stood. The sight of him made Inez cringe in horror. Even from this distance, she could practically feel how massive he was.

The giant was pale yellow and wore a green scottish outfit and had curly red hair. His eyes were unnaturally positioned. Vertical instead of horizontal. His mouth was huge and looked like he could easily swallow them all in a single gulp if he wanted. His arms and hands were large and she couldn't help but imagine him crushing them easily under his massive power that he must possess.

Inez felt her body shaking, her mind racing. So much of her wanted to run down and get Penny out of there. Despite the fact that her daughter said that Biclops wasn't dangerous, a part of her still wanted to save her and get her out of there. How could she just stand around while her daughter was a few feet from a _giant monstrosity_?

_But..no_..she had to stay put. Despite her better judgment telling her otherwise, she had to take the risk and stay here. Penny had told her it will be all right and she had to learn to trust her. So against her will, she managed to keep her feet firmly planted as her daughter conversed with the giant. She waited there for her daughter to return. And then it was off to the hospital.

sss

"Penny Sanchez? What are you doing here?" Asked Biclops as he stared down at the girl. "I thought you were grounded from coming here."

"I was, but there's been a change of plans." Penny said. She took a step forward. "I need some magic chalk. May I have a couple pieces?"

"Sure but..._where's_ Rudy Tabootie?" The giant inquired.

Penny felt her heart sting at this. She wasn't prepared for it. She should have known that Biclops would want to know that. She lowered her head slightly, shutting her eyes as she remembered the boy's screaming and writhing. She shook her head from side to side. "I'm afraid he_ isn't_ coming..."

Biclops's eyes widened slightly at this. "_What happened_...?"

"We don't have too much time to explain everything. So we'll have to be quick about it." Howdy said.

Snap took up the mantel of explaining. "A long story short, your tips for us didn't work because the zoners acted rashly and on their own, and all of them except us got _killed_ by Dr. Von Doktor." The giant gasped in horror at this. "Then the creepazoid tried to _experiment_ on Penny so he can create more magic chalk on his own, and he _impaled_ Rudy and he tried to kill Penny's mom before he skedaddled away with Blocky."

"In other words, Dr. Von Doktor is in ChalkZone and I need magic chalk to try to stop him, and Rudy is unable to help because he's in the hospital." Penny said.

The giant was silent at this. He looked down at them in utter horror. The idea of another human in ChalkZone was unthinkable, especially one that had proven to be dangerous. Penny could only imagine what the zoner was thinking right now.

And Rudy being in the hospital, not able to do a thing to help ChalkZone, that would certainly scare a lot of zoners. Not that they didn't trust her or anything, but it was often Rudy they looked up to, and if something happened to the Great Creator, their morale can drop dramatically. She needed to get Von out of here quick, before he could do any major damage.

She had thought about informing the giant about her mother being here, but unless it comes up, she decided it was best not to tell. With Von being here, the last thing Biclops needs to hear is there being yet another human in ChalkZone. At least it will only be for a short time anyway.

"So all those zoners are..._dead_?" Biclops whispered softly. As in..not alive anymore..?" Biclops whispered softly. Penny and her friends shook their heads solemnly, their heads bowed in sadness. Biclops lowered his own, his eyes averting away. "I see..." He closed his eyes and sighed. "That's _exactly_ what I was afraid was going to happen. Some zoners just don't listen and they..." His voice trailed off. The group stared up at him silently, their eyes shining in understanding. "Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it. We have only one option and that is moving on and doing what we can to prevent _another_ tragedy."

At this, Penny nodded in agreement, as did Howdy, Snap, and Rapsheeba. It was true, what the giant said. They could only keep moving forward and do what they can to help the ones that were still alive. They might have failed to save those other zoners, but they still had a shot at helping the ones still alive.

Hopefully, they will be able to pull this off with as little casualties as possible. They realized that the odds of them pulling this off without anymore deaths was low. It would be unrealistic to think that way. So lessening the body count would be the next best thing. But first, they'd have to figure out where Von was hiding.

"I'll go get the magic chalk for you, Penny Sanchez." Biclops said in a solemn, quiet gone. It was clear he was still shaken by the deaths of so many zoners. "I will be right back." He turned and began to walk away.

"_Hey, wait_!" Penny reached out towards him. The zoners looked at her in confusion. Biclops stopped and stared down at her. "Did you happen to see anything _strange_ around here? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Biclops turned his body a little and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After a few moments, he shook his head. "No..I can't say I have."

Just what Penny thought he was going to say. Disappointing, but she could hardly blame him. "Thanks anyway."

So they were going to have to figure this out on their own. As Biclops turned to go down the caverns, she turned to her friends. They would need to discuss how they were going to do this, and just where they would most likely find Von hiding out.

"What do you guys think we should do?" Penny asked.

The three zoners looked at one another. Their expressions held uncertainty, their teeth gritted to show this. Penny remained quiet, watching as they silently communicated with each other, trying to figure out a plan.

"Well..we could always..." Rapsheeba started to say when something caught her attention. She turned her head. "Your mom is coming, Penny."

"What?" Penny whispered, her heart clenching. She swerved her head over and indeed, there was her mother coming over quickly. Her feet pounded the ground, her mouth open as she took in heavy breaths.

Questions ran through her mind. _What was her mother doing_? Why was she coming over? And why did she look so _panicked_? The sight of her mom's horror-filled eyes made Penny hunch her shoulders and look left and right. Had Von launched a sneak attack on them?

A few moments later, her mother reached them. She stopped in front of them. Her hands were placed on her thighs and she bent forward. Her eyes were wide in fear as she took in more heavy, raspy breaths. She almost looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Mom? What is it?" Penny asked.

"Yeah, why did you run over here so fast?" Snap asked, curiosity spilling out of his voice, along with confusion. "I thought you were going to wait back there for us." He used his hand to point at the spot where the woman had been just shortly before.

A part of Penny was worried about how Biclops will react to seeing her mom here. He was likely not going to be too happy about it. But right now, she was more worried about what had her mom so spooked.

What had frightened her _so much_ that she would rush all the way over here? It must have been something terrible or something incredibly important to make her do something like that. Her mind tingled uncomfortably at the thought of what it could be.

Her mom began to speak. "Z-Zoner...found...me..." Her speaking was heavily hindered by her trying to catch her breath. "Told me...that...they..." She stopped for a moment. She held onto her chest and breathed in and out quickly. "Important news..."

Penny stared at her friends when her mom said this. The tone her mother used was urgent, but not necessarily terrified. Perhaps her mom was breathing heavily due to being excited or anxious, not necessarily terrified. "What news would that be?"

Her mother's wide eyes stared at the group. Her mouth stayed open and she breathed in a few more times. She then swallowed hard and said, "_They had seen where Dr. Von Doktor had gone_."

Penny's eyes widened at this. Her friends did likewise. Then they all narrowed into slits, determination filling their core. With a voice more stern than she was used to, Penny said, "_Where is he_?"

sss

The small, rectangular zoner didn't seem to be showing too much change. Outside of the whimpering and crying, he didn't really do much else. Although expected, it was a little disappointing. He had hoped for something to happen that would be worth noting. Writing about how the zoner pleaded and cried did not suit well with him.

_But what else could Dr. Von Doktor do_? What else could be done? He couldn't just speed up the effect, especially if he didn't know there were going to be any. He could only stare at the zoner and wait for any side effects from eating fellow zoner flesh. He was curious to see just how durable their stomachs were, and to see if they would be able to digest raw meat or if they, like humans, would get sick in the process.

So far, nothing has really come up. Blocky cried a whole lot, a few times asking him why he did this. Von would ignore him and just sit there and wait for something to happen. He had pulled up a chair and was currently sitting down on it, his head resting on his hand as he stared with an almost bored expression on his face.

He was glad that he had chosen a more underground location this time. He had lied to Blocky about where they were. He was able to do this since Blocky had been unconscious for a time while they were in ChalkZone. Why he lied to him, especially since he can't get out, he didn't know. Perhaps it was the feeling of control that he got with it. Should Blocky escape, he'd be in for quite a _surprise_.

Being underground also meant that, even if he allowed his test subjects to scream, they would not be heard that far or wide. The thick walls of the caverns would prevent them from being heard.

This was also a good location for another reason. It wasn't just a cave. There were hallways, not just tunnels. There were actual rooms here, like in a building. This place almost felt like a hybrid of a house and a cave then a full on either of them. This made it easier for him to travel through and designate different areas for different things.

He had rather enjoyed the dissection of his first creation. A little messy, but he felt it was worth it. He had gained some knowledge of zoner anatomy. The brain especially was quite _fascinating_. He never knew that zoner brains were constructed so... _uniquely_ and yet similar to human brains. He looked forward to creating another zoner for more anatomy study, as well as some chemical and poison as well.

But first, he wanted to complete this experiment. He needed to know how well their stomachs could handle raw flesh. Depending on the reaction, he could use that and apply that to one of his next test subjects.

He wasn't sure how many he wanted to experiment on. It did feel a little awkward creating zoners just to experiment with them, but it was easier than just capturing them. And it did help him keep control. He could keep designing the zoners with child-like minds, using that innocence against them, making them want to do what he asked of them. Then by the time they realized anything was wrong, they were strapped down and ready to go.

_But the zoners' screaming_...he could do without that. Good thing he thought of the muzzle. Despite the fact that nobody would hear them, he still did not want to be distracted from his work. Of course the loud whimpering and crying did get annoying, but at least that was more manageable and he could ignore it better.

"How are you feeling?" Von asked after a few more minutes of silence. He was getting tired of waiting. "If you're hiding anyzing, don't bozer. Juzt tell me."

Blocky shut his eyes and bared his teeth in an almost defensive manner. This display was almost amusing to Von, but he didn't have time to waste.

"Tell me right now, Blocky. Are you feeling zick? Nauseouz? _Anyzing_?"

Still the zoner did not answer him. Blocky just kept giving him the silent treatment, holding his mouth shut tightly. Von narrowed his eyes at this. He thought about striking the zoner or tearing off a piece of his skin to make him talk. He thought better than that and he refrained from the gruesome act.

Perhaps Blocky was just trying to be brave and defiant in what might be his final moments. _How admirable_... Maybe he thought that by not telling him, he believed that he would deprive him of gaining any information that he could use to his advantage. A noble attempt, but alas, it would not work.

Even if Von didn't get any new information from him verbally, he will always be able to figure something out visually. He can just simply watch Blocky and wait for anything to change. Blocky could not hide his bodily functions that well. All he'd have to do was stand here and wait for something to happen. If nothing happened and the zoner keeled over from his wounds, both present and future, he can just dissect him and look at his stomach for any signs of food poisoning.

Yeah, Blocky was not going to be able to hide anything from him. No matter how hard he tried, somehow, someway, Von would get exactly what he wanted.

Still, he kept trying to pry information out of the zoner. He hated sitting here in silence, waiting. He didn't want to leave and start another experiment until he figured out how Blocky was feeling.

"_Come on now_, Blocky. You can tell me." Von said in a calm tone. "All I want to know iz how you are feeling. Zat shouldn't be too hard to tell me, right?" Blocky, despite his fear, shot him a glare. Von raised an eyebrow at this. "Zat izn't going to work on me, zoner. I know very well zat you cannot hurt me. Even if you were free, you're too weak to do much of anyzing."

He got up from the chair and walked towards the table. He listened to the zoner's soft, pitiful yet desperate growling. He thought he heard a groan or two of pain, but it was difficult to tell.

He circled the zoner slowly, eyeing him up and down. The zoner tried to follow him the best he could. With his head strapped down, he could not turn his head to see where he was going. He could almost sense some panic in the zoner's groans when he went out of sight.

As he continued to circle him, he said, "Come now, Blocky. _Don't be ziz way_. I juzt want to gazer zome information zo I know more about you and your kind." When the zoner still didn't reply, he held his hand up in gesture. "Zink of it _ziz way_. If I knew what you were feeling, zen I would know I cannot feed ozer zonerz raw meat. Zee more I learn about you all, the more knowledge I could zpread, and the more protection you zonerz could rezieve."

"_H-How_...?" Blocky managed to say, his voice cracking. "How would..that..help us..?"

"Quite zimple. I can make sure zat nobody doez anyzing zat would cauze great harm." Von wasn't sure how willing or how well he could keep that promise. But perhaps if he tried to butter up a little to the zoner's better side, he could get him to be more cooperative without having to use violence. "Doezn't zat zound fair?"

Blocky gritted his teeth at this. "How do I know you _won't_ turn your back on your word?"

"Good point. _But_..do you want to take zat chanze?" Von stopped on his right side. He looked down at the zoner, his face likely unreadable to the little guy. "Zink about it, Blocky. Even if you don't tell me, I can juzt wait until you die and get zee anzwer myzelf." Blocky's eyes widened at this. Von smirked. "Don't you zink it would be _better_ if you juzt tell me now and get it over wiz?"

"_I_..." Blocky fell silent. His lips pressed together as he sealed his mouth shut. He turned his eyes away, the only thing he could do to avert his gaze.

Von narrowed his eyes at this. He disliked the lack of cooperation. He would have thought that the zoner would find possible protection for his species to be something of interest and worth getting. But instead, he was choosing to remain stubborn. _How foolish_. Perhaps he should figure out a _bigger incentive_.

_But what was he going to do_? How could he get the zoner to speak? The only way he could think of was to leave this hideout and grabbing a zoner that knows him, or going back to the Real World science facility and taking Snap back with him. Blackmail would most certainly work, he'd imagine. But it was a little risky. Maybe something else would do.

That's when something come to his mind. Something that he couldn't believe he didn't think of before. It was perfect. It should do the trick. But first, he was going to need to run another experiment. He was going to need another zoner.

This made him frown in concern. He didn't have that much left. So perhaps a smaller zoner would do for this one. His last zoner was a little large. He had come up to his shoulders and that required a bit of chalk. He'll make a zoner smaller this time.

He wouldn't have to clean the table off. He already took care of that. He washed down the blood and sterilized it for his next test subject. Save for the small part he had sawed off, the rest of the body had been placed in a thick, black bag for later transport. He would have used Real World water to clean it off, but that would have been a _disaster_. The last thing he needed was to create an _abyss_ here. And there was no way he was eating dusty old chalk.

At least a smaller zoner should be more easily taken care of. He just needed to make sure he didn't do anything that was incredibly messy. He didn't want to have to waste time and chalk drawing another bag and having to clean up another gore-riddled mess. The last time he had to use up, the better.

Just when he was about to turn and leave, he heard the sound of retching. He turned his head to look down. As his eyes settled upon the zoner, he took notice that Blocky's body was convulsing. He was jerking up and down, mostly in the stomach area. His face looked pale, and his eyes were wide in terror. The man stared in confusion at this for a few moments, and then he smiled.

"Ah I zee..." The man said callously as he watched the zoner whimper and writhe. His mouth opened up and then closed a few times as the zoner was fighting against the inevitable. "Zo the rezultz are now _finally_ showing up." His eyes narrowed slightly as a twinkle came off of them. "You cannot eat raw flesh..._can you_?"

Blocky did not reply. He just continued to wheeze and lurch and retch as he struggled to keep himself from vomiting. He was trying so hard. He could see the zoner's face practically turn a mixture of red and white as he struggled with all of his strength.

But the attempts were all in vain. The zoner's cheeks began to puff up slightly as his esophagus was struggling to get everything out. A bit of drool began to spill out from his lips, a signal of what was about to come. Von merely watched and smiled as he waited. _And soon it happened_.

With a loud retching sound, the zoner reluctantly opened his mouth and his stomach contents spilled out. It was mostly a diluted red color with some bits of chunks here and there. With no where else to go, it began to ooze down the sides of his mouth rapidly, a bit of it getting on his chest. Some of it started to go back into his mouth, making the zoner whimper and cough. Von, not wanting the zoner to _choke_ on his own vomit, went over and unstrapped his head. He lifted it up, allowing gravity to relieve Blocky of that unpleasant situation.

After a few seconds, the zoner had stopped vomiting and he soon laid there, coughing and crying softly. The man just stood there, staring down at him, listening to his raspy breathing. Well that answered that question. Zoners, at least sentient ones like him, could not eat raw flesh. One more weakness he needed to keep note of.

Well now seemed like a good time as any to begin a new experiment. He wanted to try out his idea he had a few moments ago. He quickly cleaned up Blocky so that his own vomit didn't stick to him or the smell overwhelm him to make him want to throw up more. Then after he was done, he bid Blocky farewell for the time being and left him alone. He walked down the hallway, disappearing out of the zoner's sight.

sss

_No...no this couldn't be happening... Not again..._

The rectangular zoner stared down at his strapped down body, noting the stains that still remained. He could still smell that wretched odor, and it made him lick his lips slowly in anticipation. He expected that, at any moment, he'd throw up again.

Thankfully he didn't, but that did not stop the feeling of nausea from filling up inside of him. He tried to push it back, but each time, he kept failing. Waves of chills moved up and down his body, making him shiver in response. It felt almost as though the temperature had dropped dramatically, but he knew that wasn't the case.

Blocky couldn't believe that he had thrown up again. The memory of it filled him with horror and he was unable to get the image out of his head. The vomit, it tasted so awful. He could still taste the after bit of it. And just what was in it was enough to make him want to throw up again.

As much as he despised emptying his stomach out for the second time today, at least this got out any possible germs that were in that meat. His stomach still hurt him, but at least the worst bit of it was over. He took in a few ragged breaths, coughing a few times. Trapped here, all he could do now was lay down and rest and hope that his stomach feels better soon.

_Not a chance_. After throwing up twice, his stomach felt as though it was on fire. He wondered if he did any damage to it. Probably not, yet he couldn't help but remain paranoid over the idea.

He struggled a little, hoping that the cuffs had somehow loosened. How, he wasn't sure. But he still felt as though he should try. He tugged on it once. He let out a yelp and stopped. He had no idea why he felt compelled to keep trying to free himself after he had proven to himself time and again that he was not going anywhere. These cuffs were too strong and he was too weak. Even if he were at his full health, he would stand no chance to get himself free. All he could really do was lay there and hope that the man slipped up and he was able to get out.

The odds of that were _slim_. Dr. Von Doktor was not a stupid man. He was not going to take any chances with him. That was why he had him strapped down and secured, rather than just letting him roam around in a cage or a locked off area. He was not underestimating him. He might be injured, but Von was treating him as if he were healthy and able.

Blocky was still in pain. It hammered in his head and it radiated like a beating drum. At this point, he had learned to live with it and move with it, allowing him to better able handle the pain to some extent. That didn't mean that he didn't feel the pain in full still, and he still flinched and winced and seethed in pain. He did his best to hide it around the man, but he knew he was hardly fooling him. He knew the man could see right through his pitiful attempts to disguise his pain.

Blocky felt his stomach twist and this time, it wasn't because of the nausea. It was guilt. Even though it wasn't _his_ fault, he felt a sense of guilt for throwing up in front of the man. He felt as though he had given the man information that he shouldn't have gotten.

He didn't believe the man's words for a second that he was going to use this information to prevent patrons from accidentally hurting zoners. He knew the man was going to use it for himself, to hurt zoners that were disobeying or becoming rowdy, whose definitions would definitely change to suit the man's wants and needs.

That man had _no_ concern over _zoners_. He didn't care what happened to them. All he cared about was making a quick buck. And he was going to try to do that as soon as he exposed ChalkZone.

Whenever that day came, it would be rather _dark_ indeed.

The zoner let out a soft whimper as he recalled all the horrible things that would happen whenever the man did unlock the gateways into ChalkZone. In his pain and agony, he couldn't help but imagine zoners being put through torture and hell all just to satisfy some sick creators. His lower lip quivered and he started to shed tears.

He felt so useless. He wanted to do something to help stop Von. Despite his fear of the man and despite the pain that he was in, he realized he had to do something to try to stop him. _But...what could he do_? What could he possibly accomplish against that _horrid_ man? There wasn't really too much that he could do.

But...he had to try something. Maybe there was a way out of this contraption that he wasn't thinking of. He attempted to lift up his head, but just like before, he couldn't. The man had put the strap back on, partly because his hands were pretty much attached to his head. Keeping his head unstrapped would pretty much mean leaving his hands free.

He looked left and right, struggling to see something, anything in the room. He moved his eyes until he could feel them begin to ache in his sockets. He could see nothing of great interest. Mostly just ceilings. And looking left and right didn't do him much good. If only he could turn his head a little, then maybe he could find a way out of here.

But no matter what he tried or what he thought of, nothing seemed to work. He continued to only being able to lay down on the table, unable to move.

No, there had to be a way out of here. He just..he just had to think harder. Maybe if he tried to pull his hands and arms a different way, twist them around, he could get one of them free, and then begin to remove the cuffs off his other limbs. _Yeah...that could work_...

Blocky wasted no time and he attempted to free himself. He jerked himself to one side only. He twisted his arm around, trying to get it to pull out from the tight cuff.

sss

"_Hold ztill, you little pieze of shit_!"

The zoner muffled a terrified response. She shook her head from one side to the other, her eyes shut tightly as tears flowed down her face.

Von snarled at this. "_If you hold ztill, it will go faster_!" But still the zoner did not comply and just kept moving her head whenever he attempted something. The man resisted the urge to strike her, not wanting to cause any more damage than necessary. "You are really trying my patienze..."

The female zoner, who was dragon-like in appearance with ears, merely hissed at him before turning her head and baring her sharp teeth. Not like she could do much to him. Her jaws were sealed shut with the muzzle. But her head, he had forgotten to strap it down and now any attempts to bring the drill over were fruitless. She was squirming around too much, he feared that he'd cause too much damage. Perhaps that is what she wanted?

Regardless, he was not going to let her get out of this that easily. He had drawn her specifically for this test, and she was going to fulfill it. He just needed to drill a hole in her head for it to work. It was a very delicate procedure, and if she would just _hold still_, there wouldn't be any sort of problem.

But no, she just had to be difficult. He growled to himself. Well he should have strapped down her head when he had the chance in the first place. Well perhaps now is a good time as any to take some liberty into that. His experiment can't continue unless he did something about her thrashing head.

Setting down the drill, he grabbed her mouth and held it down. She still turned her head and it was difficult fighting against her strength. He slung his arm around the mouth completely, encasing it in the crook of his arm, and he steadied it so that her snout was facing straight up. He grabbed the strap for the head and stretched it over so that it pressed against her forehead, right above the eyes. With a click, it was in.

He took a step back and looked at his captive. He folded his arms against his chest and smiled in pride. He had to hand it to himself, he was a pretty good artist and an excellent planner.

The zoner he had drawn was quite pretty. Shiny green scales and something like hair growing down her ack. Her body was a little long and her wings, which took the place of her front legs and currently cuffed down, was curly. Her overall design had an innocent charm to it, reflecting the child-like mind he had given her.

He watched her try to free her head. She jerked it from side to side, whimpering loudly, in desperation. He could only smile down at her, satisfied that she was unable to get her head to turn a sigificant distance either way. A part of him wished that he had brought some kind assistance with. If he had kept Terry around, maybe she could help hold this dragon more still for him.

He shook his head. No, Terry was _too much trouble_. She had tried to poison Blocky _without_ his permission or say. He was better off with his original plan that he had went with, and got rid of her. Blinding her should definitely make the lesson stick to her head. She would _never_ forget it.

He approached her again, moving slowly and deliberately. She looked up at him with wide eyes, whimpers of protest filling the air. She shook her head in desperation. He could hear her try to speak to him, begging him for the answers of why he was doing this to her. He just smirked down at her, his expression showing her a window of the cruel intentions he had in store for her.

"I need to tezt ziz zing out. I need to hook it up to you firzt." Von said. He raised the drill up for her to see. "Ziz will only zting for a _little while_. Zen, it'll be over, and we can _really begin_."

The dragon zoner tried to shake her head rapidly. It was no use. She could barely move it a centimeter, the straps being on so tightly. The man began to move the drill closer to her. He watched as she tried to squirm harder, tears raining down from her face. She stared up at him pleadingly.

He hesitated for a brief second, his eyes widening. He again wondered if he should do this. He mentally slapped himself in the face. He shouldn't let some little sad expression stop him. He grunted, showing his teeth as he moved faster. He aimed the drill in the center of her head. It made contact, and he immediately turned it on.

The sound of a whirring, tube-like blade and muffled screams and bone beginning to give way filled the air. It was absolutely bone-chilling to listen to. But he pressed on. It took only a second for blood to ooze from the woudn. He kept pressing down, the drill sinking in as if it were a hot knife on butter. He didn't attempt to speak, as the loud drilling sounds would muffle out anything he tried to say.

The zoner squirmed wildly, letting out constant, muffled screams. Her body twisted and trembled in pain, and as the seconds past, these grew stronger. The drill was still part way into her skull. Just a little more and he would have gotten through, to the point where he wanted it to be. _Just a bit longer_...

Out of nowhere, there was a sudden force against his jaw. Something firm and yet soft. He let out a scream of pain as he was suddenly jostled to the ground. He landed against the hard surface on his face. The drill dropped down beside him. It sliced into his arm, creating a long gash. He let out a scream of pain and held his arm against him. He could feel the blood spill down his arm. He turned his eyes towards who had attacked him.

His eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It couldn't be possible, right? "_Y-You..._" That was all he managed to say as he climbed up to his feet.


	41. Struggles

N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 41: Struggles

_**The best strategies will always include an escape.**_

sss

Everything had happened in such a blur to Snap. His rage had enveloped him, trapping him in its addictive glow. As soon as he saw what Von was doing, he had to take action. He never thought he'd so something like this to another living being, but here he stood, his fist formed, glaring down at the collapsed man on the ground.

His fist ached from the impact of the punch. He had hit him so hard, he was honestly shocked that he _didn't_ break something in the process. His fist had collided with Von's jaw, causing him to fly backwards and onto the ground. He glared as the man stared back at him in shock, his mouth open and panting.

The two stared at one another for several moments, neither moving their gaze from the other. Snap did not dare turn his gaze away, worried that the man might try something if he did. And he had a feeling the man was feeling the same way regarding him. Snap sharpened his glare, silently telling Von that he would take action if he dare try to do something else. This caused the man to curl his lip upwards, but he did not attempt to make a move.

Though Snap did not move his gaze, out of the corner of his eye, he could see swift movement and he knew that Penny, Mrs. Sanchez, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were moving in. His zoner friends took position beside him, spread out a little, stared at the human. Penny and Mrs. Sanchez were likely tending to the zoner.

Snap could feel a pang in his chest as he thought about that poor zoner. He hadn't much time to see it, but the sound of the drill going _into her skull_...her muffled _screaming and crying_... It was _so horrible_. Even now, he could still hear it. Her desperate cries to get away, the pain overflowing even with that wretched muzzle on her face... Snap wished he could help, but he had taken the duty of keeping Von away. To distract him... bait him.

After all, wouldn't the man be very interested in trying to test him or Rapsheeba, both of him were some of the more humanoid zoners? Knowing this man, he would most certainly take interest in something like that.

"_Y-You_..." The man said again, staggering on his feet. He stared down at Snap, his eyes widening further. "_How did you get here? H-How did you find me_...?"

Snap narrowed his eyes. He had no intention on telling Von that. He did not want to put the Smooch or her little friend in trouble. No way was this man going to target them, or any more zoners. That was all going to stop here and now.

Snap took a step forward, narrowing his eyes into slits. "How about you tell me where you found that zoner? What areas have you plundered? How many zoners did you kidnap?"

The man took a small step back. His eyes narrowed slowly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I _didn't_ kidnap anyone!"

Snap could feel his blood heating up from this. _How dare the man try to lie to him like that_... Did he _really_ think he was going to get away with this? Did the man really believe that he would fall for such a stupid and obvious lie like that?

Of course he'd think that. Von didn't understand as much as he might like to think. He simply couldn't comprehend it. To him, the only thing that mattered was results. Screw everything else. He didn't care a damn about zoners. To this twisted man, zoners weren't even completely real, and were nothing more than mere tools for him to wield. It was absolutely disgusting.

"Don't you dare lie to us." Rapsheeba growled, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't try to tell us that you didn't kidnap Blocky... Do you really think we're _that_ dumb? That we would just forget something like that?"

"Yeah! You and that Terry woman also had me captured as well! Are you going to try to tell us that I was never in any danger, that I just made the whole thing up?" Howdy asked, angered by the man's words.

"No, zat iz _not_ what I meant!" Von said quickly. This caused the zoners to stare at him in confusion, their eyes still narrowed. He looked over at where the dragon zoner was for a brief moment. He then looked back, staring down at them with a look of seriousness. "I didn't kidnap her."

Snap snorted at this. "Oh, you _didn't_?! What, did she willingly strap herself down and was just waiting for someone to come by and free her?" He made a few quick gestures with his hand, his teeth bared. "Do you think we are that stupid, Von?!"

The man shook his head. "Well, if you honeztly zink I got her from zome random zity..._zen yez_." He ticked his mouth into a small smile and took a few steps forward. He folded his arms behind his back. He looked from Snap, to Rapsheeba, to Howdy, one at a time. "Zere iz anozer, _better_ way for me to obtain zonerz here. I am quite zurprized you didn't figure zat out on your own zooner."

"What are you talking about?" Inquired Howdy.

"Zink about it _harder_." The man said with a smirk. "It will come to you."

Snap exchanged looks with Howdy and Rapsheeba. Their eyes and faces were contorted in confusion. What was the man talking about? If he didn't kidnap the zoner, then how did he get her? What else could he have done?

_Oh no... It couldn't be..._

The man did not.. he wouldn't..._would he_...?

Snap tried to keep his body from shaking, but it was impossible. He could feel himself quivering as the reality began to strike him in the head, giving him an ache through his skull. He gritted his teeth, his mind racing, unwilling to believe such a horrible thing. _How..how could the man do something like this_?

But as horrible as it was, there was only one thing that he could have done. It was an act so cruel and incomprehensible... He never dreamed he would find someone who would do something like this. And yet, here he was, standing right in front of one such human.

The dragon zoner...it must have been one of _Von's creations_. That evil man had created life, only to perform terrifying experiments on it. A zoner created for the soul purpose to be tested was _horrific_. He couldn't begin to imagine the confusion and pain that poor dragon zoner had been put through. To come to life, to try to explore the world she had been brought into, only for her to be strapped down and have drill go through into her skull...

The whole thing made Snap's blood nearly boil from his body. He felt a sharp pain throughout as his core body temperature seemed to rise up extremely. His body shook harder as emotion swept through him. His teeth pressed against each other so much he though he was going to crack them. He shot a glare at the man. If looks could kill, he'd imagine the man would be keeled over with knives stuck on his body.

"_You...how could you..._?" Rapsheeba whispered softly. She glared hatefully at the man, one of her hands locked into a fist while the other pointed at him accusingly. "How could you use the magic chalk in such a horrible fashion?!"

"The magic chalk was meant to _create_! Not find ways to _destroy_!" Howdy yelled. Tears stained his face, making it appear a little red.

Snap couldn't speak yet. With all the emotion rushing through him, he was worried that if he opened his mouth, he would spill out profanity, or he would simply roar and rush towards the man. As much as that was tempting, he knew he couldn't do it. He kept himself standing, his body continuing to shake.

His brain swirled with different thoughts as he tried to comprehend this. _The idea of creating life to be used in such a way_... it was cruel, dark, and twisted. He wondered if any creator before in the past had done such a thing. He wondered if that was part of the reason why Biclops hated humans so much. If so, he couldn't blame him. This was...this was just _inconceivable_.

Suddenly, the whole situation with the dragon zoner became much darker than before. He looked over at her, watching as Penny and Mrs. Sanchez tried to do what they could to help her. Naturally, she was resisting. But he couldn't blame her for that. Her first experience with humans was spent strapped down, with a human hurting her with a drill.

After a few seconds, Snap could no longer remain silent. He took a few steps forward, baring his teeth at the evil man. A part of him felt so enraged, almost feral, that he would just rush over to the man and bite or punch him. His logical side did have some control, but his more emotional side was still managing to partially cloud his judgment.

"_You're a monster_..."

The man looked down at Snap as the blue and white zoner managed to squeeze those words through his clenched teeth. The scientist merely raised an eyebrow at this, almost curious at his words. Snap wasn't entirely sure if he could pinpoint why, but the man's expression just made him angrier.

"You think you can just waltz in here and do something like that?! Do you think that just because you're a _human_, you get to toy with life in such a _horrible_ way?!" Snap pointed a rounded hand towards him, his voice growing a little darker as the seconds passed. "Of all the sick, twisted things I've heard in my life, this is the worst!"

Although Rapsheeba and Howdy looked at him in surprise, neither of them made a move to disagree or calm him down. Like him, they were both feeling the rage in their bodies, manifesting in the form of quaking. Snap was honestly surprised that they were able to keep themselves from lunging at the man. But then, he could say the same thing about himself.

It was so tempting to tear this man a new one. The only thing holding him back as that he knew it wouldn't do much good. The man likely had a piece of magic chalk in his pocket right now, and he could wield it at any time. It was best to hold back and just make sure the man's gaze and attention remained on them.

_But if they allowed their emotions to get the better of them, if they lose control and attack_...

...well that was going to cause some problems right there.

"I don't know why you are upzet." Dr. Von Doktor said. He tilted his head to one side. "Don't you zonerz have zome kind of...immortality going for you?" The zoners stared at him in confusion at this. "Or zome kind of fail zafe?"

"What are you getting at...?" Rapsheeba asked. Her voice was a hiss, a testament to how angry she was.

"I mean, can't you zonerz juzt be _redrawn_?" The man held up his hand. "You are all made of chalk and you were all created zrough drawing. Zo wouldn't it make zenze zat you all could be revived the zame way? I can eazily revive that ozer zoner and it will be like nozing happened." He turned his head the other way, looking at them with a single eye. "_Right_?"

The three zoners didn't answer right away. They stared at the man in horror at what he had said. They couldn't believe it and wondered if it was at all possible that they misheard.

It wasn't just the bit about revival. They had already deduced that the man would think like that. It didn't lessen their confusion or disgust for it, however. To use something like that as an excuse to hurt and kill zoners was deplorable.

But the fact that this man had actually done this more than once... _That he had actually created life earlier only to extinguish it_... It made their blood burn like ice, their stomachs churning and their chest swelling in rage. It was bad enough to even think about doing such a horrid thing, _but to do it more than once..._? They could all feel their blood practically melting out of their vessels, feeling as though the underneath of their skin was getting charred.

Snap tried to control himself. He tried to keep himself still, to not have his will broken and rush over. He tried his best to keep himself firmly planted where he was. His job was just to keep the man distracted and nothing more.

_But the emotion_...it was too great. His logical half was rapidly losing hold, and when it no longer could influence him enough, his emotions immediately took over. His body quaking in rage, his temper overflowing, he let out a yell and he charged towards the surprised man.

"Snap! _Wait_!" Rapsheeba called out.

"Get back here!" Howdy shouted.

Snap didn't listen to them. His eyes, they could barely see anything except Von. He continued to rush forward, his fury preventing him from even speaking anything. As soon as he got close enough, which only took a few seconds, he lunged at the man and collided with him. The two crashed into the ground and immediately began to wrestle with each other. Snap pulled back a fist and struck down.

sss

"No! _Please_! Let me go! Get away from me, you monsters!" The dragon zoner yelled as she struggled against her binds. If it weren't for the straps holding down her head, she would be trying to bite them as her teeth were bared. "I'm warning you!" She glared at the two humans, her eyes wild in a mixture of fear of pain. "_I'll bite your heads off_!"

Penny felt her heart twist as the zoner said this. She was not used to encountering aggressively fearful zoners. Most of the ones she met in the past were more willing than this. Then again, they also weren't in this much pain. She wanted to reach over and try to help, but though the zoner's head was still strapped down, she was still fearful of getting bitten.

The only thing she and her mom managed to do so far was remove the muzzle that held her mouth shut. Nothing else. The dragon zoner had immediately started to curse and try to thrash at them, snapping her mouth a few times. The sight was both depressing and horrible. Just how much _pain_ was this zoner in that she would act this way? How much did that horrible man do to her? How long had she been stuck this way?

Penny bit her lip when she stared at the hole in the dragon's skull. Thankfully, it didn't seem as deep as she originally thought. But that didn't make it any less gruesome. Blood was trinkling down its sides, some of it getting on the table. She could see some of the bone and tissue underneath. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized if she, her mom, and the zoners had been late, this poor zoner would have been dead. That drill was getting dangerously close to her brain.

It was a good thing that the Smooch and a zoner pal of hers, whom she did not know the name of, had found them. The pair had apparently spotted Von fleeing earlier, holding something green and rectangular in his arms.

It took her and her friends only seconds to realize that it was Blocky. They asked the two zoners some more to try to figure out a specific location. And in the end, this is where they ended up. An underground structure, like a buried building. _Quite a clever choice_. Penny could see why he'd choose to go underground. Who would think to look here for him?

Well now his luck had run out. They found him, and the zoners would spread the word about the man's presence. He had nowhere to go this time. He might have been able to fight a group of zoners, but he sure won't do too well against a city filled with angry zoners.

Penny turned her head to glare in the man's direction. He was still surrounded by the zoners. It appeared that he was on the ground, probably because he got too riley. She didn't care at the moment. Her blood was coming to a boil as she remembered what he had said earlier.

He had experimented on this dragon zoner, or at least tried. That much she could gather. But the fact that he had done this to _another_ zoner, _but killed him..._

Her mind was having a hard time accepting that reality. So much of her wanted to open her mouth and scream. She wanted to rush over there and demand to know why the man had done such a thing. Yet she knew what the answer was going to be. So why bother asking? The man was only going to say something to make her even more infuriated with him.

For now, all she and her mother could do was try to settle down this poor zoner. She looked back down at her, letting out a long, soft sigh. She winced as she thought of all the horrific things this zoner must have been through while she was here. She hoped from the bottom of her heart that the drill thing was the only form of torment she was forced to endure. She hoped that she didn't have to suffer long, and didn't have anything else wrong with her.

The zoner was continuing to struggle, snarling and snapping her jaws. Part of it was definitely out of pain. She was clearly in agony, spreading through her skull and leaving her in a constant state of torment. She was trying so hard to get away from the pain. It made Penny's stomach twist at the sight of her in so much agony. And the other reason was due to fear. This zoner thought she and her mom were going to hurt her, and how could she blame her? She was confused, uncertain of why she was being hurt, and she had no way of knowing what to expect from her and her mother.

Penny flinched when she saw just how hard she was struggling. They needed to calm her down quick. All this struggling might end up causing the poor zoner to hurt herself. She needed to relax.

But how were they going to do that? How were they going to succeed in settling down this zoner fast enough to be able to do something? She didn't know how long Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were going to be able to hold Dr. Von Doktor. It surely wouldn't be too long before he made a move and...

"Hey...calm down... It will be all right. Just please..calm down."

Penny turned her head and noticed her mother had moved a little closer to the zoner. The woman reached out and started to stroke the zoner's cheek. This surprised and impressed Penny. Her mom was taking a huge risk doing this, as the zoner could get free and bit her. The _sharp_ teeth shining... they looked like they were ready to rip her mom's hands to shreds.

Yet her mother still kept her hand there, whispering soft words of comfort. Despite the fact that her mom didn't know too much about zoners and was pretty reluctant, she was still treating the injured dragon zoner like she would with any patietn. Penny found her mouth ticking into a smile at this.

"_Don't touch me_!" The dragon zoner shrieked. "_Get away from me! I didn't do a thing to you_!"

"And we didn't do anything to you. We aren't here to hurt you. We want to help you." Penny's mom whispered softly, never once raising her voice. She continued to stroke the zoner's cheek. "You will be fine. We _promise_. I promise. You will be _safe_."

The zoner shut her eyes. Tears flowed down her face. "How can I tr-trust _any of you_? The l-l-last human I met was my creator..and he..he did this to me..."

Penny looked at her sympathetically. She took a few steps forward. "We know...we know... He hurt you real bad. But we aren't with that horrible man. He's being taken care of right now..."

Penny couldn't really be sure how true her words were. She didn't know if Snap and the others could hold the man for long. But she still needed to speak what the zoner needed to hear, even if it turned out not to be true. The zoner needed to relax, and the more she squirmed like this, the more she risks hurting herself more.

Penny took a chance like her mother and she reached over to touch the zoner. Her skin contacting the scaly hide of her arm made the zoner let out a shriek and hiss. Penny's heart sped up as the zoner struggled. She managed to relax as she told herself the zoner can't go anywhere. Then she began to caress the arm a little, trying to be as comforting as possible. She moved her hand down lower and touched the zoner's hand. She pulled away when the zoner tried to grab her.

Keeping her hand on her shoulder, she turned her eyes down the arms, watching as they extending out into wings. She noticed at the joint where it connected to the body, there was some dark bruising there, and small cuts. She gritted her teeth, her blood feeling as though it turned to ice, as she realized just what had happened here.

"Her wings are _broken_." Penny whispered softly.

Her mom looked down. Her eyes widened at the sight of them, but they soon relaxed. She shook her head slowly in disappointment. "Of all the things..." She turned her attention to Penny. "She will need to go to..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes turning left and right as she tried to think of a response. "Do...they have hospitals here?"

Penny nearly slapped herself in the face until she reminded herself that her mother was not used to this world. She nodded her head up and down. "Yeah." She looked down sadly at the broken limbs. "Do you think there's anything we can do?"

Her mother shook her head. "Not about her front limbs, though. They need to be mended professionally, and we just don't have the tools to do that."

"I could draw them." Penny offered.

"But we will _still_ need someone who could..." Her mother started to say.

"You treat animals all the time, don't you?" Penny said, interrupting her mother. "Well you can try helping this poor zoner here." She narrowed her eyes softly as her mother looked at her as if she were crazy. "Mom, I know you can do this."

"I'm not saying I can't. I'm just.." The woman paused and stared down at her daughter for a few moments. She let out a sigh as she gave up trying to argue with with Penny. "All right then... Let's...get started." She paused for a moment. "...I take it you can draw supplies?"

Penny nodded her head. She was glad her mother remembered that detail. She had almost forgotten about it herself. She raised up her magic chalk and stared at her mother expectantly. "What do I need to draw?"

Her mother proceeded to give her a list of items to draw.

sss

Inez did what she could to keep the zoner calm and quiet. This task was rather difficult, harder than she ever thought it was going to be. She wished she could do something to help make this task easier. But there was no easy shortcut. All she could do just keep trying the best that she could.

The dragon zoner was still squirming. She was still trying so hard to break free, and in the process, she was getting herself more hurt. If this kept up, the woman was certain that the zoner would pull one of her limbs out of its socket, or create a _new_ injury on top of the ones she _already_ had. She did hold her down, trying hard not to make the zoner feel trapped. But the zoner, despite her small size, was showing some incredible strength. It was amazing just how _strong_ someone could get when they were frightened enough.

The woman turned her head towards Penny. She watched to see if the girl was creating the items that she asked for. She looked down and she was pleased and relieved to see the items that now rested on the ground. They were a little crude compared to Real World versions, but they would do the trick just fine.

After Penny finished drawing them, the woman reached down to grab the first item. A tranquilizer. Normally, she would try to avoid this, due to probable complications that can arise. But this zoner needed to be calm _before_ they could free her and give treatment. Origianlly, she wasn't going to go this route, with how little time they had, but it was either do this now, or they had to spend the entire time trying to control the zoner, and potentially make themselves an easier target for Von.

Speaking of which, she wondered what was going on with him right now. The woman turned her head to take a look. Her eyes shifted around and it didn't take her long to find him. Her eyes widened briefly.

Snap was wrestling with him, along with the other two zoners. She had never seen Snap that angry before. Then again, she hadn't known him long. She flinched when she saw him deliver a punch to the man's jaw. The other two zoners sounded like they were trying to settle Snap down while at the same time, trying to restrain Von. And Dr. Von Doktor himself wasn't making the situation any better, hurling threats and trying to attack the zoners.

The woman's mind swirled with thoughts as she wondered just what Von had done to anger Snap so much. What did he say that sent the small blue boy off the deep end? She had been so focused on this zoner that she didn't pay attention to anything else.

"Mom! _Hurry up and inject her_!" Penny cried.

Shaking the thought out of her head, the woman looked back down at the dragon zoner. She realized she hadn't injected her with the tranquilizer yet. She looked around, trying to figure out the best spot to put it in.

She realized quickly that she didn't know the exact spot. This zoner was something she had never dealt with before. She wasn't sure of the anatomy, where everything was, where the best spot for needles would be. She looked all around, but the unfamiliar design of this zoner made things a little difficult.

Penny looked up expectantly at her. She turned her head from her, to the zoner, and back again. Then, after she seemed to realize what the problem was, she said, "Imagine she's a big crocodile or alligator!"

At this, something clicked in the woman's mind. Of course. Why didn't she think of something like that before? It was so obvious. Looking down at the zoner again, she did take notice of how the zoner did, in fact, sort of resemble a gator or croc. At least below the surface, as if she were related to them.

With that in mind, she felt confident enough to make her move. She turned her attention to the zoner's neck. She put her hand against it, keeping it a little more steady, and she pressed the needle against her neck. The zoner let out a loud screech and her struggles increased. The woman didn't let go, and she didn't try to move the needle away until after she had pushed all of its contents inside.

Then she moved back and waited. She wasn't sure the precise time this tranquilizer would kick in. And she knew it would be best if she and Penny just waited for it to work before they proceeded with anything else. The zoner would be too dangerous if freed beforehand.

She turned her head and looked over at where Von was. So far, he was still struggling with the zoners. She didn't know how long that would last, and at any moment, he could break free and rush over towards them. This wouldn't bode very well for them. She had to think of something to prevent Von from coming over and causing them any problems. But what could they do?

_There was Penny_... She turned her head towards her daughter. Penny was standing there, unsure of what to do. She was looking at her mother expectantly, down at the zoner, and then towards Von and her friends. It was clear Penny wasn't sure which course of action was best, and the squirming zoner and Von's shouts were making it diffcult for her to make up her mind. She couldn't blame her. Everyone gets stressed at some point.

So she decided to make the decision for her.

"Go over and help your friends." Inez said sternly.

"_Are you sure_?" Penny asked. "Don't you want me to stay here and help you?"

"I can handle the zoner on my own. Once the tranquilizer kicks in, it shoudl be a breeze." Inez said. She narrowed her eyes. "But right now, your friends are going to need help. _Go_! Get to them before Dr. Von Doktor can gain the upperhand!" She pointed towards where the man was still wrestling the zoners.

Penny hesitated for a second. Then she nodded her head, turned and ran towards where the zoners were. Inez watched her for a few seconds, and then turned her head towards the zoner. She hoped that she made the right decision.

sss

"Let go of me! _Releaze me at onze_!" Von snarled as he pushed against Snap. The zoner wasn't relenting, his anger lasting much longer than he had expected it. It was almost as if the zoner had eaten some kind of power ore or something. "If you don't let go of me now, _I'll_..."

Snap responded to this by delivering another punch. The man let out a yelp of pain. It was almost amazing just how strong the zoner was, despite his small size. Well that and terrifying. He didn't know how far Snap was going to carry this. If he didn't get him off soon, he had no idea what was going to happen.

Von squirmed, trying to kick away Snap with his foot. But no matter how hard he tried to aim, something happened to stop him. Either one of the other zoners would halt him somehow, or Snap would just move around, getting out of the way of the punch, much to his frustration.

Von gritted his teeth at this. "_Why don't you juzt hold ztill_?!" He cried as he tried again to get at Snap. But again he missed, and again he found himself in the same situation.

This was getting ridiculous. He should be able to get out of here just fine. _Why was he letting the zoners hold him down like this_? He was a human. He was a _creator_, wasn't he? Zoners shouldn't have any power over creatings, yet here he was, on the ground, struggling to get three puny zoners off of him and failing. Of all the embarrassing ways to get defeated, this was one of the worst.

He couldn't see what was going on with his test subject. He guessed that Penny and her mom were taking care of her. He was initially angry at this. He wasn't done with the dragon zoner _yet_. He still had more to do with her. His current experiment wasn't done yet. But for now, he decided to just ignore it. He could always create a new zoner after he escaped and went somewhere else to hide out in. It was no big deal. It wasn't like in the Real World, where if he lost a test subject, he'd have to go searching for it, or find someone else to take its place.

But right now, that wasn't going to do him much good. He needed to get to out of here, and worrying about Penny, her mom, and the zoner wasn't going to help him. He tried again to strike against Snap, but to no avail. The little guy was just too quick for him.

It wouldn't last forever. He was certain of that. Sooner or later, Snap was going to slip up and he was going to allow himself to get struck. All Von had to do was wait for an opportunity. Snap was using up so much of his energy right now, and that energy was limited. If he waited long enough, then Snap was going to wear himself down, and that's when he could strike.

Then it happened. After a few more minutes of struggling, he noticed the zoners, especially Snap, were starting to slow down a little. Von did his best not to smirk. He slowed his own movements down to conserve his energy, and to give the zoners a false sense of security, tricking them into believing that they were gaining the upperhand.

Soon the zoners, thinking they were winning, started to pin him down. They were panting heavily at this, their mouths wide open. They started to hold onto him, trying to keep him on the ground. Von made a few jerks, getting the zoners to use more of what remained of their strength. He waited for the right time, and when he found it, _that's_ when he made his move.

Without warning, he yanked his leg back and he kicked Snap, this time his foot colliding with his small body. The force was enough to send him flying through the air, rolling and crashing along the ground. Howdy and Rapsheeba looked on in horror, their eyes widened. Then they tried to react, but he yanked his arm free, grabbed onto Howdy, and threw him against Rapsheeba. The two zoners tumbled to the side, allowing Von to get up onto his feet.

Von whipped out what remained of his magic chalk. He knew he was risking using whatever was left, but at the moment, he really didn't have much of a choice. He quickly began to draw with it. The lines formed in the air swiftly, and soon he was wielding a weapon in his hand. He turned and pointed it at the trio. The three zoners immediately froze in horror.

Howdy was the first one to speak up after a long silence. "_Th-That's_..." There was a strong glow of recognition in his eyes.

"Why yez it iz." Dr. Von Doktor said with a smile. "But ziz iz _twize az ztrong_." Howdy gulped at this and took a step back. Von pointed the sparkling end at the three zoners, causing them all to jump and move back further. "It iz untezted, of courze. I don't know how well it will perform." He narrowed his eyes at them. "Maybe I should tezt it on you zree. What do you zink?"

Howdy shook his head. "No..._please_!"

"You don't know what you're doing!" Rapsheeba shouted, her eyes looking at the bag, wide and filled with terror.

Von chuckled at this. "Oh I zink I do. I don't know why you inzizt zat I don't." He steadied the gun, leveling it so it aimed right at all three of them. "Now if you would kindly _hold ztill_..."

Snap took a few steps in front of the other two. He glared directly at Von. Though there was fear, he was hiding it behind a mask of courage. "No you _won't_..."

Von lowered his electric gun slightly. "Oh no...?"

"Snap..._what are you doing_..?" Rapsheeba whispered in horror.

Snap didn't bother answering her or Howdy, no matter how many times they called out to him. He simply glared in Von's direction, his eyes narrowed into slights and his lips curled back into a snarl. This look might have been a cheap attempt to scare him, but all it did was make Von laugh. It was just so amusing seeing this pathetic little zoner try to defend his friends against the face of great adversity. He didn't know whether he was actually brave or just _really stupid_.

He and Snap stared each other down for a few moments. It was almost like a staring contest, and they were waiting for the other to back down. Neither would. The air filled with tension, thick and almost difficult to move through. There was no sound for him. The only things he could do was see Snap, as if he was the only thing in the world that mattered to his brain.

Then, finally, Snap made a move. He shut his eyes and he took in a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, his expression softening up almost as if he had gotten sick of the whole thing. He then looked back up at him, his eyes becoming slightly narrowed.

"How long do you think you can keep this up, Dr. Von Doktor? How long do you think you can go on doing these horrific acts _without_ catching the eye of someone?" Snap clenched his teeth. "You might be a creator, but if you piss off enough zoners, you're going to have a swarm. Tell me, just how fast can you run?"

Dr. Von Doktor frowned at this. As much as he hated to admit it, the zoner did have _something_ of a point to make. He likely wouldn't be able to stand up to too many zoners on his own. They could overpower him with numbers, weaken him, and capture him.

What he needed to do was figure out how to get around that. He didn't say a word to Snap. He spent his next few minutes in silence, trying to analyze the situation and figure out what to do next.

Snap took this as an opportunity to continue, likely thinking he was getting through to him. "You should really consider the consequences of your actions more, Von. You may find that simply surrendering is the better option. When you cooperate with others, you can reap the rewards. But when you decide to go against what others tell you..."

"Oh don't try to lecture me, _boy_." Von cut him off. He took a step forward, reaiming his electric gun at Snap. "You zink you know anyzing? You're _juzt_ a _zoner_!"

"Yeah, that's _right_. A zoner that knows _more_ about this world than _you_." Snap said. The two remained staring at each other in silence. Then he continued, "All three of us.." He spread his arms out, indicating his two friends standing behind him. "We're quite well known across ChalkZone." A smile spread across his face. "What do you think will happen if one of us is killed? How do you think our fellow zoners in ChalkZone City will react?" Von widened his eyes at this. "What are you going to do if you slip up and get us hurt, Von?"

Von stared at Snap for a few moments, his eyes remaining wide. He thought about what the zoner said. He let it all sink in. He looked from the gun and then to the zoners. He lowered it slightly.

But that only lasted for a few seconds. Determination filled up inside of him as he reminded himself of his position. His teeth were bared as he raised the electric gun once more, the end coming alive with electrical sparks as his finger pressed against the trigger. Snap's courageous face fell immediately as Von began to pull the trigger.

"I will _wing_ it." Von said as he prepared to shoot.

"_No_!"

Von froze at that voice. _No...it couldn't be_... He was _injured_. He was trapped. He _couldn't_ have...

Then something slammed against him and gripped onto him tightly. He immediately dropped his gun as he reached over and tried to grab his attacker. His hands scrambled to reach, his body whipping around as he continued to struggle to get himself free.

The three zoners took a step back and stared on in shock. Despite all his struggling and squirming, the man could see their expressions. He would have thought they planned this, but _no_. They couldn't have. Somehow, someway, this zoner had escaped his enclosure and had attacked him. His surprise soon melted away to rage. He was not going to let this zoner get away with this.

"_Blocky_?!" Snap cried out in shock. "_What are you doing here_?!"

Blocky tightened his grip on the man. He was seething heavily, and Von guessed he was trying to fight against the pain and nausea. "Get out of here! _Run_! I-I'll hold h-him!"

"_Blocky! No_!" Snap screamed loudly, accompanied by his friends.

Von ignored the shouts as he jerked himself from side to side. He was amazed and shocked at how well the zoner was hanging on despite his pain and injuries. He gritted his teeth as he swung around, using more force, trying to dislodge the zoner. He could hear the zoner grunting as he struggled to hang on.

Soon he grabbed Blocky by his leg and yanked him down. He held the zoner upside down for a few seconds, snarling at him in rage, feeling his blood heat up as he realized that this zoner nearly caused him to shoot himself with his own gun.

Tightening his arm, he thrust Blocky into the ground. There was a loud thud as Blocky collided with the rocky surface. He let out a soft ground, his teeth gritted as he seethed. Von took in a few heavy breaths as he stared down at him. Blocky looked up, returning his gaze. One eye was shut tightly and the other twitched. Von felt his body quake in anger as he lifted up his foot.

"_You little worm_!"

"N-No..please...I-I'm sorry..." Blocky whimpered.

Von just snarled in response to this. Positioning his foot above Blocky's stomach, he struck down.

"Blocky!" Snap shouted in horror, reaching his hand forward. "_No_!"

sss

Penny's eyes widened in horror, staring out ahead as she watched Von throw Blocky into the ground. She flinched as she heard the impact all the way over here. She felt her heart twist at Blocky's pleas as Von raised his foot over his body, preparing to stomp down on him.

_No_... Von couldn't do that. Blocky was too badly hurt. He already had enough problems as it was. How could Von do something this cruel? How could he try to _hurt_ Blocky more than he already was?

Penny picked up the pace. Everything around her became nothing but a blur. All that she could pay attention to was that evil man, his body hovering over her friend, his foot preparing to crush him under its weight. She was unaware of anything else going on around her. All she could think of doing was run over towards the frightened Blocky, her heart pounding inside her chest, threatening to burst out. She could feel herself becoming short of breath, but still she ran.

When she got close enough, she pulled her fist back and she struck the man in his stomach. The shock of her doing this didn't click in right away. Only after the man gave a grunt and stumbled backwards did she realize what she had done. Her eyes flew open in horror and she took a step back.

"_I_..." Penny stammered, her body trembling from the shock.

Dr. Von Doktor gritted his teeth, showing themto the girl almost like he was a wild animal. He didn't say a word. He just stared at her, all his attention and aggression now focused on her. Penny could feel the weight of his glare and she took a few steps back.

She quickly regretted her rash action. She should have thought things through more. She should have planned more carefully what she was about to do. Now she was finding herself being backed up by this man, each step bringing him closer to her, closer to danger. She looked left and right as she tried to think of what she was going to do.

The man suddenly reached forward and he grabbed onto her arm. Penny let out a help when she felt his hand squeezing her bite wound. Her eyes opened up wide and she struggled not to let out a scream.

"_You..._! I'm getting really tired of..."

Von didn't get a chance to finish. He suddenly let out a grunt and he stumbled forward. He still gripped her tightly and he pulled her forward as he tried to regain his balance. Penny flinched, shutting her eyes tightly, as the man used her as a counterbalance. After he steadied himself, the man turned and looked down at who had dared to intervene.

Penny's eyes filled with terror when she saw that Blocky had made another move. The zoner was grabbing onto him, his hands gripping him around his ankle. Von lifted up his foot, scowling at him in contempt. He started to shake his foot, trying to dislodge the zoner. But Blocky only tightened his grip, his teeth clenching from the effort.

"_Pezt_!" Dr. Von Doktor snarled as he threw Penny aside so he could grab Blocky. He lifted him up, holding him at both ends. He soon began to pull him. "I'll finish zee job!"

Penny's heart skipped a beat as she listened to Blocky's screams. The man was pulling him too hard at both ends, and she could see his body _stretching out_. She took in a sharp intake of air when she realized what Von was trying to accomplish.

"_No! Don't_!" Penny rushed forward. "_Leave him alone_!"

She jumped into the air and she collided with Von. She wrapped her arms around him as she knocked him away from Blocky, forcing him to let go. She and the man fell into the ground. She landed on top of him and for a few moments, she remained dazed. Unfortunately, this gave Von enough time to grab her by her neck and pull her onto her back.

Penny looked up at the man fearfully, unable to turn her gaze away from his enraged eyes. He looked like he was ready to _tear her apart_. In his unhinged state, would he go that far? Not wanting to find out, she began to struggle.

"Let my friend go, _you creepazoid_!" Penny heard Snap call out as the blue zoner grabbed onto the man. "Leave her alone!"

Penny, as she used her hand to push back Von, watched as Snap and Rapsheeba grabbed onto the man's arms and tried to pull him back. The man hardly paid attention to them. His eyes remained focused on her, as if she was the only thing worth doing anything about in that moment.

Forcing her pupils to look away for a moment, Penny noticed that Howdy had rushed over towards Blocky. He was attempting to lift him up, supporting him by his arm. Blocky winced as he was partially steadied, his body bent forward. Howdy began to lead him away, towards the exit. But unfortunately, it didn't take Von long to realize what was going on.

Von turned his head and looked behind him. His eyes narrowed into slits when he saw that Howdy and Blocky were making a run for it. Penny, Rapsheeba, and Snap held on tighter, hoping that they could keep Von's attention. But in a sudden display of strength, powered by his anger, Von merely thrust his arms from side to side at full force, _flinging_ her and the two zoners away from him.

Penny groaned as Rapsheeba and Blocky hit against her back. She laid there for a few seconds, moaning in pain. She lifted her head and looked over towards where Von was.

"_No! Don't_!" Her pupils shrank into dots.

She, Rapsheeba, and Snap shouted at Von to stop, but the man refused to listen. He rushed over towards where Howdy and Blocky where. The two zoners looked on in horror, too terrified to move. What was the point? Even if they did run, they wouldn't be able to get away quickly enough. All they could do was remain frozen, eyes clinched tightly.

But, much to their confusion, Von didn't try to capture them. Instead, he ran around them, and he continued on his way down the hallway. They all stood there, frozen in shock, listening to the man's footsteps as they faded away. They looked at one another, each mentally asking the same thing: _just what the heck had happened_...?


End file.
